Perspectives in Education

PiE Editorial March 2024 42(1)

2024-05-13T10:49:24+02:00

School violence is a problem which occurs internationally and confronts all authorities with seemingly invincible obstacles that impede their education. There are also constant reports on shocking violence in American schools where people are killed by shooting, while the German authorities have already commissioned two large research projects to investigate the problem and propose solutions. French authorities have also taken steps to protect their educators.

Why has what is so grotesquely abnormal become normal for us in this country? This question, posed by Graça Machel (2021), South Africa’s former first lady and anti-gender-based violence (GBV) advocate, is what comes up when one studies the official statistics and the incessant news reports on violence in education in South Africa.

How does this ‘grotesquely abnormal’ situation exist in a society based on Ubuntu? If I am, because you are, and we both become the product of each other’s actions and decisions, how does it square with the brutality of daily life and the threat to the futures of children, teachers, students and ultimately the broader community? This suggests that there is a lack of knowledge on the nature and effects of school violence on various role players.

Our invitation to scholars to reflect on the scourge of violence in educational settings, created an opportunity to contemplate the causes and consequences, but also ways to ameliorate the situation. All the scholars also touched on what the meaning of school violence might be and they made use of extant international and national literature.

Meg Milligan, Bhekuyise Zungu and Kanessa Miller Doss explore the trends as well as the underlying psychology, the lifelong psychological impact and the ways culture and other environmental factors can temper it. They attempt to understand how this problem developed into the current constantly worsening national crisis in South African schools. They examine aggression and violence from its origins through the process of evolution, biological and psychological coevolution. They also look at the problem from a historical perspective, describe many of its relevant forms and note its disproportionate occurrence across populations. Lastly, they identify challenges and provide recommendations.

Sifiso Sibanda gives an overview of the extent to which violence has ravaged schools, colleges, and universities by way of a qualitative content analysis of online newspaper articles and social media news.

Two other authors look at specific consequences of school violence. Rudzani Israel Lumadi applies the lenses of social justice theory and the interpretive paradigm to investigate the impact of school violence on learners’ aspirations, participation and performance in secondary schools. Mochina Mphuthi’s systematic literature review and document analysis assess the possible role of the Life Orientation curriculum in curbing the learner behaviour that perpetrates school violence. Life skills such as communication, managing emotions, and conflict resolution are suggested as means of developing healthy relationships.

One particular type of school violence, namely bullying, has become pervasive among learners and between teachers and learners. Usually, when analysing an act of bullying, we distinguish among the victim, the bully and the bystander. However, yet another role exists – a bully-victim. Kebogile Mokwena explores and explains reasons why some learners assume the dual roles of victim and perpetrator. From this article, one can deduce that there are many manifestations of violence in education.

Inevitably, gender also comes up when talking about bullying and other forms of school violence. Shakila Singh and Sherri Lee Gopaldass David’s article draws on a qualitative study on the experiences of school violence among boys at a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. They argue that it is necessary to focus on boys’ own perspectives, the demands they have to face and an understanding of the complex social and cultural contexts within which they navigate the everyday world of school.

The study by two other authors, Angel Dlungwane and Viljay Hanlall, focuses on Black girls and the implicit nature of gender-based violence (SRGBV) that affects them in township high schools. The aim is to look beyond the connection between masculinity and gender-based violence to the specific acts, as well as multiple and qualitatively different pathways to the enactment of GBV. It is important to understand these dynamics if school violence prevention interventions are to be effective. The discussion of the concept of implicit violence underlines the complex nature of the school violence phenomenon.

Corene de Wet undertakes a qualitative media study within an interpretative research paradigm to expand our knowledge of sexual violence perpetrated against learners in South African public and private schools. She employs media reports from South African English newspapers to explore the link between violence and personal, structural and cultural sexual violence in schools as well as to consider possible rectifications of the abnormal situations.

Cina Mosito and Zandisile Sitoyi are the first of several authors who take a closer look at the effect of school violence on teachers’ well-being. They apply an interpretative phenomenological research design to examine three teachers’ experiences of school violence. In the same vein, the article by Charity Okeke and Windvoël Simphiwe apply the routine activity theory to investigate factors that specifically influence learners to target teachers. It also highlights teachers’ coping strategies to improve their teaching experiences.

The case study presented by Roy Venketsam introduces another aspect of school violence, namely the role of leadership. He discusses the case of teachers who had been victims of violence, either directly or indirectly, yet received no support from school leaders. Nicholus Tumelo Mollo turns the spotlight on what legislation says about teachers’ right to safety from violence, as well as the functionaries’ explicit duty to act to protect them. Highlighting a different view, Pierre du Plessis’ article explores the perceptions and experiences of school principals and school governing bodies in rural areas regarding school violence. It highlights the improvement of management, school effectiveness and professional conduct of teachers as ways of curtailing violence.

On a more positive note, Roelf Reyneke reports on a quantitative study conducted on safe parks. Results show that safe-park activities enhance learner safety, improve community well-being, reduce gangsterism, and decrease discipline problems.

The last article deals specifically with violence in higher education. Mlamuli Hlatshwayo explores a broader philosophical conception of violence in the education system. He explores the deeply embedded and well-entrenched epistemic violence in higher education because of the dominance of Eurocentric thought in curriculum design. He also touches on the lasting effects of decolonisation.

In 2017, Sayed, Badroodien, Hanaya and Rodríguez wrote a chapter titled, “Social cohesion, violence, and education in South Africa”, in a book edited by Seedat et al. (2017). The submissions by authors tended to take a superficial view of violence and produced explanations of the concept that they gleaned from the extant literature (particularly in South Africa) and from public discussion in newspapers on social media and in meetings organised by education authorities. The recommendations made to improve the situation and curtail the different types of violence and in the end to reduce their presence in education institutions to an insignificant level also suffer from the lack of sound information on the issues.

Like the article by Milligan et al. in this volume of Perspectives in Education, this chapter by Sayed et al. (2017) suggests that a simplistic and superficial view of the nature of the problem and possible solutions is not going to improve the situation. They analyse the concepts ‘social cohesion’ and ‘violence’ in education and they argue convincingly that education must be located in an environment where there is social cohesion (cohesion is not threatened by violence). Social cohesion can diminish the frequency and intensity of educational violence and contribute to a better future for all.

It would seem that the phenomenon of violence in education can only be addressed by intensive studies, looking at it through various lenses and developing strategies to counter it by using possible approaches from various fields of study. It is clear that the problem can only be addressed successfully if studied intensively as a complex phenomenon requiring innovative solutions. For now, it remains a daunting challenge for all academics and role players in education.

Violence in South African Schools: Trends, psychology, and amelioration

2024-01-17T10:33:31+02:00

School violence is a global concern (UNESCO, 2022) with prolific consequences due to its lifelong psychological impact. Violence will continue to afflict human populations due to its underlying psychology, but this can be tempered by culture and other environmental factors. Violence is part of human nature and has an evolutionary basis rooted in our biology and is expressed psychologically through behaviour, thinking, and emotional expression (Buss, 2019; Zhang-James, et al., 2018). There are many forms, including physical and sexual assault, bullying and cyberbullying, public shaming, sexual harassment, suicidality, verbal and emotional abuse, and property theft. Although violence is ubiquitous, it is distributed disproportionally, as is obvious when considering demographics such as age, race, ethnicity, geographic location, socioeconomic status, gender, and environmental disparities (e.g., pollution, noise, and access to essentials). A prime example of environmental disparities is the current crisis affecting South Africa’s electrical grid and its effects on behavior (Khumalo, 2023). These facts reveal challenges that can be addressed in order to reduce violence overall and in specific settings, and concomitantly reduce disparities and enhance social justice (Khumalo, 2019). We address these issues and provide recommendations for amelioration in the context of school violence in South Africa. While school violence is an increasing problem and challenge for all stakeholders (Le Mottee & Kelly, 2017; Ngidi & Kaye, 2022), Nelson Mandela reminds us that “We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society - a life free from violence and fear.”

Decrying violence in South African schools and higher institutions of learning

2024-03-04T15:20:47+02:00

In recent years, the South African basic and higher education departments have been besieged by egregious forms of violence. Although this has been a worrisome phenomenon dating back to time immemorial, of late, violence is at a very concerning and alarming level. The profusion of violence serves as an indictment to various stakeholders including the sitting government, which seems to have done very little, if not nothing, to mitigate the issue. Several media houses and numerous media platforms have, on a daily basis, tracked bullying which has advanced to the gruesome murder of learners and teachers alike. Very often, societies wake up to new and traumatising experiences that have since endorsed schools and higher education institutions as war zones where bloodbaths have become commonplace. This article drew its data from extensive reviews of news items, scholarly articles, and social media news. The study sought to highlight how much violence has ravaged schools, colleges, and universities. After tracing different versions of violence experienced in the aforementioned institutions, the study established that institutions had experienced a deluge of violent incidents. Several institutions have lost educators, principals, ancillary staff, and students through violent death. The study further suggested ways through which violence may be mitigated in the institutions. Active stakeholder involvement, re-skilling of teachers in handling 21st-century learners/students and introduction of modules on teachers’ soft skills in dealing with recalcitrant learners are some of the recommendations that resulted from the findings of this study.

Impact of school violence on learner participation in South African Secondary Schools:

2024-02-16T15:42:35+02:00

School violence plays a significant role in shaping a school’s culture and climate, which can have an impact on the participation and performance of learners in secondary education. In many instances, school violence can hinder the educational aspirations of learners. This paper investigates the impact of school violence on learners through the lenses of social justice theory and an interpretive paradigm. The sample of this qualitative research included three secondary schools in the Vhembe District in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, and are from advantaged and disadvantaged communities, representing a varied sample. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 27 purposively selected teachers, including three principals, three heads of department, and 21 teachers. Data were analysed and interpreted using the constant comparative method of data analysis. The findings revealed corporal punishment, bullying, and sexual harassment as the major forms of violence perpetrated at the three schools. These are the direct result of the low socioeconomic status of parents, crime in the communities, and cultural and traditional beliefs of the community members. The study found that teachers spend most of their time solving challenges associated with various forms of school violence instead of focusing on teaching and learning. School violence also affects learners’ concentration, thus increasing poor academic performance, classroom chaos, bunking of classes and depression. The study suggests that the victims of any form of school violence are encouraged to report the perpetrators to the school teachers and principals immediately. In addition, the school must conduct awareness seminars and workshops on various forms of school violence. If not monitored, these causes and effects may contribute to the widening gap of unequal educational outcomes of learners in the country.

The role of the life orientation curriculum in curbing learner behaviour that triggers school violence

2024-02-14T11:52:03+02:00

Violence in South African schools has various negative effects on learners. These effects include loss of concentration, poor academic performance, playing truant, and depression. School violence also affects the psychological well-being of learners, leading to absenteeism and difficulty in paying attention in class. Furthermore, school violence has been linked to substance abuse and sexual violence. The increasing prevalence of violence in South African schools has raised concerns about the safety and security of these educational environments and their impact on the overall development and well-being of learners. The Life Orientation (LO) curriculum plays a crucial role in curbing learner behaviour that triggers school violence through the development of unhealthy social and emotional skills in learners. Preventing and responding to violence in schools can improve educational outcomes and help to achieve educational targets.

This study aims to answer the following question:
How effective is the LO curriculum in reducing school violence?

Ubuntu was adopted as the theory in this study. Ubuntu is a Southern African philosophy that places emphasis on the community rather than the individual. A qualitative systematic literature review through thematic analysis revealed that the Life Orientation curriculum teaches life skills such as communication, managing emotions, and conflict resolution, which are essential for the prevention of violence. Furthermore, by enhancing educational possibilities and offering life skills instruction, the school-based Life Orientation curriculum can contribute to the prevention of school violence. Life Orientation curriculum practice may provide a safe and encouraging environment for learners to express their emotions, learn conflict-resolution techniques, and develop healthy relationships. The study concludes that school violence harms the future of learners, as they may be potential future criminals if their behaviour is not corrected.

When bullying victims are also perpetrators:

2023-07-14T09:02:06+02:00

Whilst traditionally, participation in bullying was understood to refer to being a victim, a bully or a bystander, studies have shown that the prevalence of learners who are both a bully and a victim known as bully-victims is also prevalent both locally and internationally. The aim of the study was to explore and explain reasons why some learners assume the dual roles of victim and perpetrator. A cross-sectional explanatory mixed-method design was used for the study. In the first phase, the Illinois Bully Scale was used to screen for bullying behaviour on a sample of 460 learners, aged 11 to 20 years, with a mean age of 15 years, who attended high schools in a Tshwane District township, Gauteng Province. The learners were categorised as bullying perpetrators, victims, both, or not involved in bullying, based on the scores from the Illinois Bully Scale. A phenomenological hermeneutical method was then used to collect and analyse data from 25 of those with high scores in any of the three categories, namely perpetrators, victims or both as determined using the Illinois Bully Scale. NVivo 14 software was used to conduct a thematic analysis of the data. The focus of this paper is on the perpetrator-victim category, a category of learners that screened positively for being both the perpetrators and victims of bullying. The study found that bullying victims tend to bully those whom they perceive to be weaker than them. Being both a perpetrator and a victim of bullying was found to be as a result of a belief that being a victim of bullying makes one less respectable and bullying others brings back the lost respect. Victims also feel the need to make others suffer the pain of being bullied that they are going through so as not to suffer alone. Victims also bully others as a form of self-protection and defence against being bullied. Furthermore, victims bully those who are weaker than them to get some relief from ethe emotions of anger and frustration that build up as a result of being bullied by a stronger bully against whom they cannot defend themselves. Bullying creates a perpetual cycle of violence as victims view bullying others as justified as it is “paying forward the pain” that they themselves have been subjected to. Early identification and interventions to prevent and manage bullying in schools are required to break the victim-perpetrator cycles.

“Boys’ role in life is to protect and defend”

2024-04-05T10:16:23+02:00

Boys have been found to be the main perpetrators of violence and bullying in schools, putting a spotlight on masculinities. However, boys are not always active producers of violence. This article examines ways in which primary school boys who denounce violence explain their participation in it. It draws attention to how dominant gender and heterosexual ideologies impact the lives of boys at school. The data draws from a larger qualitative study which focuses on the experiences of school violence amongst boys in a primary school in KwaZulu Natal. The sample comprised fifteen grade seven boys. The primary method of data production was semi-structured individual interviews. The findings show that although the boys in the study condemned school violence, many could not escape being part of it. As boys, they felt compelled to protect and defend themselves, their families, girls and their friends. In their efforts to resist and mediate violence, they often resorted to violent methods in their masculine constructions. This article argues that it is necessary to focus on boys’ perspectives and shift the focus on violence from problematic individual behaviour to complex social and cultural contexts within which they navigate the everyday world of school. Towards this end, the conflicting implicit and explicit demands on boys sustained through social and institutional structures must be reworked.

Implicit gender-based violence against Black high school girls in South African township schools

2024-02-15T15:17:40+02:00

School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) is a major obstacle to universal schooling and the right to education for girls. Inequitable gender norms and stereotypes, based on hierarchies and forms of subordination, amplify and contribute to the SRGBV. Extensive literature on gender-based violence in South African schools exists, and much of it explains the connection between masculinity and gender-based violence. There is a paucity of studies on the SRGBV in South Africa that focus on implicit nature of GBV. This paper draws upon semi-structured individual interviews and focus group interviews with girls, boys and educators at two South African township schools to examine implicit nature of GBV. The findings revealed that boys were the main perpetrators of implicit gender-based violence. The analysis showed that implicit violence took the form of joking, teasing, social bullying, alienation and spreading rumours. While in most cases, the perpetrators of the violence were boys and the victims were girls, we gained a far more comprehensive picture of how GBV was perpetrated at schools. The participants provided us with fresh insights into the complexities of GBV and highlighted the extent to which sociocultural factors have an impact on SRGBV. An important conclusion from this study is that there are multiple and qualitatively different pathways to the enactment of GBV, and it is important to understand these dynamics if school violence prevention interventions are to be effective. This study recommends an integrated, comprehensive approach by all stakeholders in the form of educational intervention programmes towards the eradication of school gender-based violence. It is vital to include boys in these programmes for them to understand the importance of healthy relationships and to break free from harmful stereotypes. Parents, educators, coaches and policymakers play a role in challenging the belief that boys and mens violence is normal.

Sexual violence and harassment in South African schools:

2024-02-16T09:34:19+02:00

This qualitative media study, undertaken within an interpretative research paradigm, aims to expand our knowledge of sexual violence perpetrated against learners in South African public and private schools. Due to ethical, normative and methodological barriers surrounding research on sexual violence in schools, South African English language newspapers were used as data source. The SA Media database was utilised to identify 153 relevant newspaper articles published in the period of 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. Themes were identified by means of qualitative content analysis. The findings shed light on the extent of sexual violence in schools, the acceptance and normalisation of teacheron- learner sexual violence, the exploitation of learners’ academic and athletic aspirations by teachers and coaches, and the imbalance of power and consequent abuse of power in a country where hegemonic masculinity prevails. Moreover, the study found teachers, coaches, caregivers, taxi drivers and fellow learners to be perpetrators of sexual violence. The study also highlights the negative effects of sexual violence on the victims’ academic, mental, physical and social wellbeing. Drawing on Galtung’s typology of violence, three dimensions of violence, namely personal or direct violence, indirect or structural and cultural violence were identified. This multidimensional interpretation emphasises the need to address this scourge on direct, structural and cultural levels.

School violence and its impact on teachers’ well-being

2024-02-21T10:09:24+02:00

As a signatory to the United Nations, South Africa is obliged to ensure that all children have access to quality education. The reality though is that there are many barriers which make access to education difficult if not impossible. School violence, an escalating worldwide phenomenon, is widely cited as one of the challenges that are faced by schools. The problem, as research has shown, is most prevalent and disruptive in poor communities. Many teachers are reportedly leaving the profession because they fear school violence or after being victims of violent attacks in their schools.

In this article we demonstrate that violence in schools can have a debilitating effect on teachers as experienced by a case of two teachers. An interpretative phenomenological design was used to examine closely the participants’ experiences of school violence. The study was framed around the concepts of care and support in order to understand how sustainable development goals 3 (good health and wellbeing) and 4 (quality education) in relation to teachers’ health are important pillars for inclusive teaching-learning environments for all school members. Data was collected through narratives which were thematically analysed. The findings reveal that school violence has a negative impact on the general wellbeing of teachers and can produce what we call narratives of disillusionment.

Teachers’ lived experiences of school violence and their coping strategies

2023-12-01T09:33:30+02:00

School violence perpetrated against teachers is becoming a scourge in South African schools, and as a result, teachers feel stressed, depressed, unsafe and demotivated to continue teaching. This problem, which has had a severely negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning, has also permeated the entire educational system in South Africa. Hence, the emergence of this study, which applied the routine activity theory also to investigate factors influencing perpetrators (learners) to target their victims (teachers) in the absence of capable guardians. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological case study design to establish teachers’ lived experiences of school violence and their coping strategies to improve teaching experiences. The sample size comprised eight purposively selected high school teachers who had experienced at least one form of violence at a school in the Free State Province. Data were collected via audio recordings during face-to-face semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed and analysed following Braune and Clarke’s thematic analysis approach. The findings indicate that the teachers interviewed were emotionally stressed and demotivated by their experiences of school violence. Additionally, data revealed that the teachers in the study expressed strong feelings of insecurity and disappointment with the teaching profession. Regarding teachers’ coping strategies, the findings indicate that school-based counselling services and sharing experiences with colleagues help to alleviate the influences of school violence. It is recommended that incidents of school violence experienced by teachers be reduced or even eliminated if all relevant stakeholders consider the coping strategies.

Teachers’ experiences of violence in South African:

2024-02-27T11:18:43+02:00

South Africa is recognised as one of the most violent countries across the globe. School violence against teachers is a common phenomenon at most schools. This ongoing crisis has had a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Schools are no longer a safe environment for teachers. Teachers are exposed to passive and active violence, causing physical and psychological harm. This paper focuses on violence against teachers and its effect on their well-being. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of teachers who experienced violence at their schools and received no support from school leaders. This study was conducted in one district in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. The author used the Invitational Learning Theory and National School Safety Framework as theoretical lenses, since these frameworks envisaged ensuring that all schools are safe, conducive learning environments. The findings revealed that at least two in every ten teachers experienced some form of violence. The acts of violence were either active or passive; for example, learners threw books at teachers, physically attacked them, swore at teachers, displayed rude behaviour, showed arrogance, and blackmailed teachers. The study recommends that the Department of Education employ rigorous and stricter measures to ensure the safety of all teachers. School leaders should engage with community forums and police services to support them in curbing violent behaviour and protect teachers. Stricter disciplinary actions should be taken against perpetrators of violence.

Functionaries’ ‘duty to act’:

2024-01-26T11:40:37+02:00

The safety of teachers has been researched in South Africa, but less is known about education law that regulates functionaries’ duty to act to ensure teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools. Section 12(1)(c) of the Constitution of 1996 provides that “(1) [e]veryone has the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right ... (c) to be free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources” (RSA, 1996a). This study focused on teachers’ right to safety from violence when they are on duty in public schools. The study aimed to identify and discuss various South African laws that regulate the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools and to investigate how these laws are applied in practice by asking three research questions. The study employed a qualitative research approach grounded in an interpretive paradigm, underpinned by a theory of social safety that recognises the importance of teachers feeling secure in their interactions with others. Qualitative data were collected employing document analysis of education law and previous empirical studies (secondary data from 2013 to 2023). The findings revealed that there is sufficient provision of education law in South Africa that regulates functionaries’ duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools. However, the challenge lies in the insufficient understanding and implementation of the provisions outlined in education laws. It is recommended that functionaries be trained on the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence. The attainment of teachers’ safety from violence hinges on the understanding and application of the existing provisions within education law that governs the duty to act.

Violence in rural schools in South Africa:

2024-02-16T09:42:10+02:00

Violence, crime, and abuse against learners present a grave picture of problems in South African schools and are on the increase, as substantiated in articles. daily newspapers and news bulletins. The problem of violence is a complex one, and has been elevated to a national concern. The study was based on the perceptions and experiences of school principals and school governing bodies (SGB). Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect data. The study revealed that the unprofessional conduct of teachers, teacher absenteeism, a weak criminal justice system, dysfunctional family structures, absence of school leadership, and a precarious school environment all contribute to violence. The study also produced evidence of unrealistic expectations of teachers who do not take the individual needs of learners into account. Although schools craft learner codes of conduct to deal with learner discipline, it seems that at most schools, the school management is unable to implement these codes of conduct effectively. Poorly managed schools are likely to experience more violence. This qualitative study was conducted at South African rural schools to obtain insights into the prevalence of violence in schools, and the management thereof. Using purposeful sampling we explored the perceptions and experiences of principals and school governing bodies (SGBs). Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect data, and these were analysed using Tech’s method of coding. The article recommends the enhancement of management, school effectiveness, and professional conduct of teachers in South African rural schools. School management teams should take a leading role of curbing learner violence by stringently enforcing learner codes of conduct and providing teachers with professional training so that they can manage learner discipline in schools effectively. Furthermore, learners and educators need to be empowered to manage conflict and to fulfil their education roles.

The Contribution of Safe Parks to school safety:

2024-02-26T15:30:15+02:00

Unsafe and violent schools are a widespread problem in South Africa. This paper argues that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) contribute to this phenomenon. While various individual and community-level interventions to address ACEs have been reported on, the contribution of safe parks towards preventing school violence has not yet been explored. To support schools in dealing with violence, the Adopt-a-School Foundation introduced a pilot project at eight schools in Botshabelo in the Free State Province. The programme included psychosocial support services, establishing safe parks, and ensuring community involvement. The goal was to improve school communities by creating environments that are empowering, academically effective, gender sensitive and free from violence. Although there are safe parks in communities around South Africa, they are an uncommon sight at schools. This paper reports on the quantitative study conducted on safe parks’ contribution to making schools safer and less violent. Results show that safe park activities improve community well-being, including reduced gangsterism, enhanced learner safety, and decreased disciplinary problems. It is recommended that safe parks continue to provide psychosocial services to children at schools and that their programmes be expanded to include more services.

On violence in South African higher education:

2024-02-16T15:17:50+02:00

South Africa is inherently a violent country. From the service delivery protests, rise in murder rates, gender-based violence, and an increasingly violent higher education sector; South Africans are increasingly feeling vulnerable and despondent about the future. In this paper, I attempt to provide a conceptual understanding of violence in higher education. Through Gramsci’s idea of the organic crisis, I propose two kinds of violence that need urgent attention if we are to realise higher education transformation and decolonisation. Firstly, I propose a focus on what I see as the deeply embedded and well-entrenched epistemic violence in higher education. This violence operates at the level of curricula and knowledge production, and occasions the need to displace the dominance of Eurocentric thought in curriculum design. Secondly, I propose a focus on social violence, which operates at the discursive level of the institutional culture. This relates to the growing frustrations, anguish, and depression among Black academics and Black students who continue to see, read and experience higher education in South Africa as inherently anti-Black, anti-women, and increasingly anti-poor. I end the paper with some concluding thoughts on the need to adopt a broader conception of violence, and the epistemic/ontological/methodological possibilities this gives us in transforming the higher education sector in South Africa.