An Examination of Factors Prohibiting the Implementation of Human Rights Education in South African Public Schools
Ernest Mpindo 
, Xolani Khohliso & Bongani Mashaba
Issue: Vol.6 No. 7 2025 Article 2 pp.437 – 448
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025672 | Published online 10th July, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Schools should be enabling environments that promote learners’ holistic growth. However, this is not always the case in public schools in township areas in South Africa because public schools struggle to protect children’s rights while also coming up with relevant and appropriate strategies to deal with learners’ indiscipline without violating their rights. Couched in the theory of Ubuntu as a research framework, this qualitative theoretical paper analysed the factors prohibiting the implementation of human rights education in South African public schools. This paper employed a literature review and content analysis of secondary data to answer two major questions: What are the factors prohibiting the implementation of human rights education in South African public schools? Which framework can be used by teachers to advocate for the implementation of human rights education in public schools? The paper revealed that human rights education has the potential to enforce Ubuntu to stabilise and create peaceful environments in schools. Considering this argument, the study recommends that a structured method of collaboration with NGOs, schools and community-based partners that could participate in the provision of services focused on fostering peaceful education should be actively considered by the DBE. This paper contributes to the ongoing debates and discussions on the introduction of human rights education as one of the measures to curb violence in public secondary schools and the promotion of human rights to promote the values of ubuntu within the learning environments.
Keywords: Human Rights Education, Ubuntu, South African Public School
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Ernest Mpindo is a PhD candidate and works as a Researcher for Curriculum and Academic Staff Development unit in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at the Central University of Technology, Free State (Bloemfontein Campus) South Africa. His research is focused more on classroom management strategies, school safety, student teacher development, school violence, human rights education and education law.
Dr. Xolani Khohliso is the Director for Curriculum and Academic Staff Development Unit and the Head for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He holds a PhD in Curriculum Studies, M. Ed in Language & Media Studies, B. Ed Honours in Curriculum Studies, B. Ed in Senior, and FET Phase (UKZN) and Various Courses including; Higher Certificate in Information Technology, Certificate in Advanced Labour Law (UKZN), Certificate in Project Management (UP), Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation (UP), Certificate in Public Sector Audit and Governance (UCT), Certificate for entry into the Senior Management Services (National School of Governance), etc.
Bongani Mashaba is a curriculum developer in Curriculum and Academic Staff Development at Central University of Technology, currently pursuing his PhD in Curriculum Studies at the University of South Africa.
Mbatha, Nonjabulo, and Philani Brian Mlambo. “An Examination of Factors Prohibiting the Implementation of Human Rights Education in South African Public Schools.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 6, no.7 (2025): 437 – 448. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025672
© 2025 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/).
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