Aslam Fataar, one of South Africa’s few educational sociologists working with ethnographic methods, captures the complex interactions and dynamics between social life, school processes and youth subjectivity in townships in the Western Cape. His work with concepts of mobilities and space is enormously generative, providing a way for teachers, principals, communities and policy makers to engage with the ‘complex ecologies’ of young people’s learning in urban schools. As an astute policy analyst, he also well knows the systemic barriers in the way of achieving this. The last chapter, on possibilities for pedagogical justice at the site of the school, considers how disengaged students might re-engage through leveraging explicit pedagogic connections between their lifeworlds and school practices. Acknowledging that pedagogy cannot be the only means for revitalising schooling, the author nevertheless insists that marginalised young people’s consent needs to be won by schools that make use of, rather than ignore, their strengths, knowledges and aspirations. The approach to the troubled question of youth and subjectivity is enlightening, and vital to understanding the post-apartheid city and school. The book fills a much-needed gap in educational sociology in South Africa.

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The importance of the first-year experience is now well recognised. This collection of papers makes a fascinating and important contribution to our understanding of students’ transition to higher education. This is a scholarly, engaging and illuminating text, that is relevant not only in the context of South Africa, but for anyone interested in student learning in the first year of university education. David Gosling, Plymouth University

Graad R in Perspektief is ‘n gestruktureerde akademiese gids vir studente, opvoeders en praktisyns in die veld van vroeekindontwikkeling. Dit is saamgestel volgens die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV) van die Nasionale Onderwysdepartement 2011 en toon die jongste tendense van internasionale bronne. Die fokus le op die voorbereiding van die student om die beginsels van die informele onderrigbenadering te verstaan en dit te implementeer. Duidelike voorskrifte word gegee om kennis, vaardighede en houdings by die jong kind te ontwikkel sodat elke leerder selfverwesenliking kan bereik. Inligting word voorsien oor die inrigting van die klaskamer en speelomgewing om vir leerders optimale leergeleenthede te skep. Leerders se verskillende ontwikkelingsvlakke en kulture word in ag geneem. Wenke vir onderrig in die praktyk word toegelig met toepaslike voorbeelde en foto’s.

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Grade R in Perspective is a structured academic guide for students, educators and practitioners in the field of early child development. It is compiled according to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Declaration (CAPS) of the National Department of Education 2011 and presents the latest tendencies of international sources. The focus is put on preparing the student to understand the principles of the informal teaching approach and to implement them. Clear directions are given to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes in the young child so that each learner can achieve self-realisation. Information is given on organising the classroom and the play area to create optimal learning opportunities for the learners. The different levels of development and cultures of the learners are taken into consideration. Valuable suggestions for teaching in practice are illustrated with appropriate examples and photos.

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