Research On Affirmative Action In Higher Education In Post-apartheid South Africa

With the abolition of apartheid,South Africa’s social development has experienced a special transition and began the democracy reconstruction process. This reconstruction involves all aspects of social life and its core is to not only promote the growth of economy but also overcome the legacy of apartheid. Improving the life of the Negro which constitute the majority of the population and realizing social justice is also the aim of the reconstruction.This research systematically studies the higher education transformation since 1994 and focus on the "affirmative action" which aims to promote different races and classes to obtain equal educational resources. This research also analyzes affirmative action from the level of policy and practice and expounds its results and the existing debate.The introduction part puts forward the fundamental problem of the paper:what is the background of higher education transformation? What is affirmative action ?What achievements and dispute have been made in affirmative action. On this basis,this part puts forward the significance of this research,summarizes the main literature and discusses the research methods and innovation.The first chapter is The Development of Higher Education in South Africa.It mainly reviews the development of higher education in South Africa. The development of higher education in South Africa has the close relation with history of politics,economic and social development. The output of higher education gradually cannot meet the needs of modern social and economic development. This chapter analyzes the inequality and imbalance development of higher education before the transformation of higher education in South Africa. The imbalanced development of higher education in South Africa imbalance is mainly manifested in unbalanced development of colleges and universities,low student participation and fiscal tilt. This chapter also expounds the measures implemented to eliminate the inequality.The second chapter is The Development of Affirmative Action in Higher Education in South Africa. It mainly expounds the development South Africa’s affirmative action. In this process,the affirmative action plays an important role in social development in South Africa. This chapter firstly carries on the definition of affirmative action and analyses the background of the implementation of affirmative action on the basis of the abolition of apartheid. Secondly,it analyzes the basic principle of affirmative action and compares the practice and reality of affirmative action.The third chapter is The Policy and Practice of Affirmative Action in Higher Education in South Africa.It mainly discusses the affirmative action in higher education in South Africa at the policy and practice level. At the policy level,this study mainly analyzes the "Constitution","Higher Education Act","Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation" and "Education White Paper3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education’’ which includes affirmative action.These policies and regulations have laid a solid foundation for the development of higher education in South Africa. At the practice level,affirmative action has adopted a series of measures to achieve college fairness,fair admission and financial fairness.After evaluating the effects and problems of affirmative action,the paper rethinks the affirmative action.The fourth chapter is The evaluation and thinking of Affirmative Action in Higher Education in South Africa. This chapter mainly analyzes the achievements and existing problems of affirmative action since the implementation. The characteristics of affirmative action are summarized compared with the United States and other countries and existing contradictions of higher education in South Africa are expounded.