Compulsory School Curricula of South Africa (RNCS1, 2002) and Sweden (Lpo 294).

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the compulsory school curricula of South Africa and Sweden. It focuses on contexts for their introduction, main actors in the process, democratic values they contain and their similarities and differences. Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is used for analysis. The curricula and references to other literatures show similarities and differences. Contextual similarities are that both countries were once under oppression and their masses were isolated from the education process and more resources were invested on their elites. At present the curricula of both countries strives for democratic education. A major difference is equal opportunities for the students to attend a school of their choice are higher in Sweden than in South Africa. The Swedish curriculum is more concrete on issues related to students, teachers and other school staff’s rights and responsibilities, and on relations between school, home and society.

Key words: South Africa, Sweden, Curricula, and Democratic values