Ideological illusions, human rights and the right to education: the in(ex)clusion of the poor in post-apartheid education

Abstract

Against the background of global concern about the political and social consequences of human rights, this article uses an ideological lens to explore the (non)existence of the right to education in South Africa. We argue that post-apartheid education actively (re)normalises the in(ex)clusions of the poor in education within neo-liberal capitalist human rights frameworks. Data from the NRF funded project Human Rights Literacy: A quest for meaning (Roux, 2012) indicate that student-teachers are aware of the ideological illusion presented in the Real and contrasting educational realities. We conclude by arguing for the need to assume common responsibility for the in(ex)clusions of the poor in education. The importance of human rights literacies cannot be underestimated in this regard. Human rights literacies open spaces in which student-teachers in common responsibility can engage with issues such as poverty and in(ex)clusions in education.