Introduction

In this chapter we consider both the notion of knowledge mobilisation and practices associated with it in the South African context. The chapter begins by providing an overview of the education system in South Africa, including the higher education policy and funding context. We then go on to trace the evolution of the concept of community engagement (the more common term denoting knowledge mobilisation in South Africa). We argue that the multiple sources from which the current term is derived have left some confusion as to what ‘engagement’ entails and what constitutes the ‘community’. Surveying some examples of local practices relating to knowledge mobilisation, the chapter argues that knowledge mobilisation in education specifically suffers from the same conceptual disorientation, as well as a poor quality knowledge base available for mobilisation. In many senses the field remains in a pre-evidence mode, tending still towards the opposition and critique that characterised engagement pre-democracy. The chapter concludes with some suggestions around how we may go forward, drawing on Cooper's (2011) notion of a ‘development oriented’ discourse of engagement.

Education system overview

The legacy of apartheid education presented enormous challenges to the government at South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994. A total of 18 racially separated departments of education for different race groups had to be integrated. A new assessment, qualification and certification structure and new accountability and support structures were deemed necessary. In terms of financing, wide disparities in the per capita allocation for students of different race groups had to be addressed. The school curriculum was outdated, both in terms of formal knowledge, but also in terms of the racial and gender biases it contained. The infrastructure of most schools and many higher education institutions was in a dismal state and required considerable capital investment. The task of transforming education was undertaken in the years following transition. Resting upon the crucial South African Schools Act of 1996 for schools, and the White Paper of 1997 for higher education, a unitary, non-racial system of education provision was created, with one national and nine provincial departments responsible for overseeing the delivery of education.