Nicolaas A. Broer

Many contemporary societies are characterised by historical and deeply entrenched forms of diversity, thereby posing challenges for the achievement of national unity and for social cohesion. Challenges such as these are also evident in South Africa, where historical divisions, inequalities and tensions influence relationships among different sections of the population. This paper examines how Citizenship Education could contribute towards addressing such divisions by reflecting on the relationship between unity and diversity. Drawing on a literature study and an interpretivist-constructivist paradigm, it develops a philosophical-theoretical framework that approaches unity and diversity as intertwined onticities rather than as opposing or mutually excluding realities. Philosophical perspectives are invoked to contend that unity can be ensured while acknowledging the presence of diversity. It is contended that effective Citizenship Education should be based on an ethical approach that transcends group boundaries (diversity) and promotes (national) unity. The approach should incorporate an ethic of community, of moral responsibility, trust, safety, empathy, inclusivity, virtue and of care. Application of these ethics can promote respect, reciprocity, compassion, responsibility and a sense of belonging among learners and at the same time reinforce their commitment to the national common good. Analysis of South Africa’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (2011) and accompanying Life Skills and Life Orientation textbooks reveals that they already provide opportunities for addressing unity, diversity, inclusivity, community and morality. They do not, however, provide the systematic ethical guidance required for sustaining a principled balance between unity and diversity. A strong ethical value-driven Citizenship Education programme aimed at acquiring this principled balance is required to instil in learners a shared sense of belonging as well as an affirmation of diversity.

The article begins by examining the “post-1990 consensus,” an international orientation—emerging in the mid-twentieth century and consolidating after 1990—that promoted diversity, equity, inclusion, human rights, multiculturalism, and postmodernism as guiding values of the global order. Education was seen as both the site and the instrument for advancing this vision of a new socio-political world. However, this consensus has been undermined by what the authors term the “denudation of the post-1990 consensus”, an analytical turn that emerged in the early twenty-first century amid intensifying global tensions and the erosion of liberal-democratic ideals. (The term ‘denudation’ is borrowed from the science of geology, where it refers to the stripping away of layers of material, thereby exposing deeper, formerly hidden layers.) The article introduces the construct of the “denudation of the post-1990 consensus” as an analytical turn in interpreting how contemporary political transformations reshape the conditions under which citizenship and education operate. This turn is characterised by various interconnected processes, including democratic regression, deglobalisation, populism, nationalism, rising inequality, and social fragmentation, all of which point to the weakening or the stripping away of the normative foundations of diversity, equity, inclusion, and the liberal-democratic citizenship that lay at the heart of the post-1990 consensus. They have also been weakening or stripping away the foundational values that previously informed global educational reform. However, in its current form, the concept of liberal-democratic citizenship is not suitably equipped to meet the challenges brought about by the turn of events referred to as the “denudation of the post-1990 consensus”. It must, therefore, be reconceptualised as a critical, multilayered, human-rights-based, intercultural, and capability-oriented field of formation. It is contended that, in view of the “denudation” process, a reconceptualised form of citizenship education, capable of addressing fragmented identities, democratic instability, and multilayered forms of belonging, may offer an appropriate educational response to contemporary global turbulence.

In dit artikel wordt onderzocht hoe vier deugden – nieuwsgierigheid, bescheidenheid, dienstbaarheid en zorgvuldigheid – onderzoekers kunnen helpen om weerstand te bieden aan de verleidingen en risico’s van de moderne wetenschapspraktijk. Door toenemende concurrentie, prestatiedruk en institutionele verwachtingen komen onderzoekers onder sterke druk te staan, wat kan leiden tot twijfelachtige of zelfs frauduleuze onderzoekspraktijken. Regels en protocollen blijken hiervoor onvoldoende bescherming te bieden; werkelijke onderzoeksintegriteit vraagt om innerlijke vorming. Het artikel stelt daarom de persoon van de onderzoeker centraal: wetenschap is geen mechanisch proces, maar een menselijke praktijk waarin karakter, overtuigingen en intenties bepalend zijn voor betrouwbaarheid en geloofwaardigheid. Een christelijk-deugdethische benadering biedt volgens de auteurs een vruchtbaar kader om deze morele dimensie te begrijpen. In dit perspectief vindt wetenschap plaats coram Deo en wordt het gezien als deelname aan het verstaan van Gods schepping. De vier besproken deugden worden verbonden met de klassieke kardinale deugden van Aristoteles en vervolgens vanuit reformatorisch perspectief uitgewerkt als wetenschappelijke karaktereigenschappen. Nieuwsgierigheid richt zich op waarheidsliefde; bescheidenheid bewaart voor zelfoverschatting; dienstbaarheid oriënteert wetenschap op het gemeenschappelijke goed; en zorgvuldigheid waarborgt precisie, eerlijkheid en respect voor mens en werkelijkheid. Gezamenlijk vormen zij een morele habitus die onderzoekers helpt om verleidingen te weerstaan en wetenschap te beoefenen als een roeping: niet ter meerdere eer van zichzelf, maar tot welzijn van mens en schepping en uiteindelijk tot eer van God.

This article examines the formation of Christian teachers through the lens of the normative practice model, which understands teaching as a value-laden and relational activity. Teaching is not merely the transfer of knowledge or skills, but a moral enterprise directed towards the integral development of learners and teachers. From a virtue-ethical perspective, the article emphasises that character formation and the cultivation of virtues such as prudence, justice, courage and self-control are essential for developing a professional identity. This identity emerges from the interplay between personal convictions, professional norms and practical experience, and becomes visible in teachers’ actions within complex pedagogical contexts. The article clarifies the concepts of ‘normative practice’, ‘character formation’ and ‘professional identity’, and applies them to the Christian teaching profession, highlighting the role of both the cardinal and theological virtues. The analysis shows that the education and professional development of Christian teachers cannot be reduced to technical competencies, but should foster a pedagogical environment that integrates moral practice, spiritual flourishing and professional reflection. This perspective underscores the teacher’s role as a morally and relationally engaged professional contributing to the holistic development of learners. Methodologically, the article is based on a conceptual and philosophical analysis of the literature, integrating the normative practice model with virtue ethics. Contribution: The article addresses a gap in the literature by demonstrating how this model can be integrated into teacher education, offering theoretical clarification and practical implications for Christian teacher education programmes and the strengthening of professional identity.

It seems, three decades into the twenty-first century, as if the interrelated trends of deglobalization, regressive nationalism, populism, and identity politics are gaining traction worldwide, thereby embodying inclinations that seem to be the opposite of those in preceding decades. Citizenship Education, both as a broad academic discipline and as a school subject, appears to be a suitable vehicle for addressing and even countering these new global trends, if and when required. The first part of this paper surveys and assesses the aforementioned global political trends that are currently unfolding. This is followed by considering whether these trends can be countered by citizenship as a broad academic discipline, and by Citizenship Education as a subject taught in schools. The historical evolution and present state of citizenship education are reconstructed and assessed. The article concludes with arguments aimed at reconceptualising Citizenship Education as a school subject capable of successfully countering current political trends, if required.

In this article we report on a theoretical-statistical investigation into the validity and reliability of a self-developed questionnaire for discovering the perspectives of parents in 2 South African provinces regarding the discipline of their children, both at home and in school. The questionnaire was developed because of a paucity of information concerning this perspective on child or learner discipline. The statistical procedure to which the questionnaire was subjected revealed that the validity of all the sections of the questionnaire was satisfactory, but not the reliability of most parts thereof. Only 1 reliable subscale emerged in the process. Despite this, the information gleaned by means of the individual items of the questionnaire remains useful for understanding the parents’ perspectives on learner discipline.

The human need for belonging and identity (stemming from the need for belonging) is strong. This article begins by discussing these needs, drawing on the theories of Abraham Maslow and Erik Erikson. Forceful societal trends in the early twenty-first-century world have been creating a new societal context that tends to disrupt historical, relatively simple trajectories of identity formation. These trends are then subsumed under two megatrends that operate in the contemporary world. The first is globalisation, evident in the world since c.1990 as “Globalisation 3.0”. One outcome of Globalisation 3.0 is identity flux. Around 2015, a trend of deglobalisation became evident around the world. Populism is one of the manifestations of this counter-trend, a manifestation that is also visible in identity formation patterns. Education, citizenship educationin particular, has long been looked up to as instrument of political socialisation and identity formation, and these counter-trends tend to impact it, as well. The thesis of this article is that citizenship education, as it is presented in the education systems of the contemporary world, could be deemed to be anachronistically simple and hence requires adaptations in response to the exigencies of this new, changed global context. Finally, we suggest some guidelines for a reconceptualised citizenship education attuned to the exigencies of the new unfolding global context.

The study examined the role of family, school and church educators towards cultivating Christian citizenship in children up to the age of 16 amid increasing societal pluralism. It was undertaken in response to a global moral crisis marked by social fragmentation, secularisation, and diminished civic participation. Within this context, the article explored how Christian moral formation, grounded in divine command ethics and virtue ethics, could contribute to social renewal. Christian citizenship was considered a response to the societal need for individuals who integrate moral integrity, faith, and civic responsibility. The objective was to determine how parents, church leaders and teachers could foster the development of Christian citizens who engage constructively with a diverse society while remaining faith-rooted. The study focused on the potential of Christian (inclusive and compassionate) education to address moral decline and civic disengagement, cultivating virtues essential to democratic and inclusive participation in society. A conceptual, normative research methodology was employed, drawing on theological, ethical, and educational literature. Divine command ethics and virtue ethics were analysed as complementary frameworks for Christian moral education. The study evaluated the application of these frameworks in the family, church, and school contexts, identifying key virtues and strategies for effective moral formation. The article relies on critical engagement with Scripture, classical philosophy, and contemporary scholarship. The study indicated that families nurture moral character through modelling and habit formation; churches instil civic virtue through theological instruction and social outreach; and Christian schools integrate biblical ethics into citizenship education. Families, churches, and schools face contemporary challenges, including pluralism, digital distraction, moral relativism, and political polarisation. Nevertheless, when consistently aligned with a virtue-based ethical framework, these institutions can significantly contribute to the moral and civic formation of children. The study concluded that Christian citizenship can be meaningfully fostered when education in family, church and school is grounded in both the divine command and virtue ethics. These frameworks support the development of moral character, civic responsibility, and respectful engagement with societal diversity. Intentional collaboration among family, church, and school strengthens this process, enabling children to grow into compassionate, just, and principled citizens. Contribution: This article contributes to the scholarly conversation on moral and citizenship education by proposing a Christian ethical model, rooted in divine command and virtue ethics. It offers a normative framework for integrating Christian faith with civic responsibility, aligning with the journal’s focus on education, human rights, and diversity in contemporary society.

Education is an integral component of society and is inherently linked to the changes occurring within it. This article discusses four significant developments (globalization, localization, individualization, and collectivization) examining both the threats they pose to education and the opportunities they offer. Additionally, it explores how education can navigate its strengths and weaknesses in relation to these societal shifts. A central theme in this article is the content of the curriculum, which may come under pressure if schools respond too impulsively to contextual changes. The analyses in this article are grounded in the right of children to receive adequate education, as outlined in various international treaties and charters. Adequate education is understood as education where the curriculum sufficiently contributes to the achievement of educational goals. It is recommended that, while considering a country's legal provisions, educational objectives be carefully considered and the curriculum, particularly in terms of content, be aligned accordingly.

The study reported in this article addressed a gap in research on the role of parents in managing their children’s discipline problems in South African schools. Through a quantitative research approach, data were collected by means of questionnaires from 212 parents in the North West province and 236 parents in Mpumalanga province. The findings revealed shifting gender norms, with increased male participation in addressing children’s disciplinary matters. Key factors influencing parental involvement were age, the number of children parents had, school level, school type, and demographics. The study emphasised the importance of considering these factors for effective strategies to enhance parental participation in children’s disciplinary matters. This research contributes to the field of education by providing a legal framework and insight into the role of parents in addressing their children’s school discipline problems. The following recommendations are made: holding awareness campaigns that challenge gender stereotypes; parenting programmes targeting fathers; tailored initiatives for specific age groups; flexible engagement strategies for parents with multiple children; targeted programmes for secondary and public schools; sharing best practices; context-specific interventions; and training sessions for school governing body members to enhance their capacity and facilitate knowledge sharing among parents