Policy Imperatives: A Case of Gender Non-Conforming Learners
Bulelwa Makena 
and Viwe Lungisani Feni
Issue: Vol.4 No.8 Article 5 pp.957-963
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023485 | Published online 4th August, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
As the Bill of Rights prescribed by the South African Constitution stipulates, all people, irrespective of gender, race and religion, have a right to equal opportunities. This is articulated by the Gender Schema Theory as it stipulates that some cohorts of learners are aligned to socially accepted behaviours while other gender aschematic learners perform parallel to socially recognized behaviours. Therefore, all learners are entitled to equal treatment and they have a right to education, especially because South Africa is a country renowned for its rainbow-nation characteristic, allowing it to accommodate diverse citizens. It is for this reason that this paper investigated whether school policy logistics have an impact on gender non-conforming learners in one rural Senior Secondary in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Two teachers were purposefully sampled as participants for this qualitative case study research. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were administered. Using thematic analyses led to the formation of themes which were used to discuss findings. The study found that (i) there are dynamics in policy formulation and also that (ii) there is a violation of school policies. This subjects them to social exclusion and social control that marginalises gender minorities. The study recommends that gender specific school policies be redefined to promote gender neutral and inclusive schools, thus creating societies where everyone is welcome and protected as suggested by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
Keywords: Policy, Gender, Non-conforming, Diversity.
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Prof Bulelwa Makena is a PhD holder in Language Education; and a member of the Faculty of Education Higher Degrees and Ethics Committee, Butterworth Campus, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. As a self-motivated, achievement orientated, lateral thinker, a doer. I submit this career statement as an indication that I commit myself as a scholar and a researcher. Being a lecturer, playing an active role in coordinating learning, teaching and curriculum matters at departmental, faculty and senate levels, as well as participating as an author who has managed to publish scientific papers, book chapters and conference proceedings – all in DHET accredited platforms, a reviewer for manuscripts published by DHET accredited journals; and a session chair in both national and international conferences, supervising post-graduate students to the finality of their research projects/graduation, as well as a mentor for mentees who have successfully published some articles, has gradually sharpened my researching and paper writing skills.
Mr Viwe Lungisani Feni, a teacher at Reikaeletse Secondary School, Xhariep District, Free State Province of South Africa, holds a Bachelor of Education in Technology and Mathematical Education and a Bachelor of Education Honours in Educational Policy and Management. Am proud to mention that as an emerging author, my academic writing skills get sharpened and motivated whenever I learn that my little piece of written work has received approval for publication in DHET accredited platforms. As an aspiring researcher in educational policies and school governance, my main aim is to achieve a Doctor of Education in Educational Policy and Law qualification to help in the process of transforming the system by eliminating societal and political challenges, thereby creating a healthy environment where learners can receive curriculum without being socially and politically excluded.
Makena,Bulelwa and Feni, Viwe Lungisani.“Policy Imperatives: A Case of Gender Non-Conforming Learners.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.8 (2023): 957-963. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023485
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
