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Submission information
Submission Number: 68
Submission ID: 834
Submission UUID: d156caeb-f09d-4d0e-afd2-dbb9fa3f8a77
Submission URI: /2025/abstracts
Created: Fri, 04/25/2025 - 12:52
Completed: Fri, 04/25/2025 - 13:08
Changed: Tue, 05/06/2025 - 09:27
Remote IP address: 197.184.183.56
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Current page: Complete
Webform: Abstract
| Title | Ms. |
|---|---|
| Lastname | Gongotha |
| Firstname | Shumikazi |
| 2350790@students.wits.ac.za | |
| Mobile | 0638833608 |
| Institution | University of the witwatersrand |
| Biosketch | My name is Shumikazi Gongotha, I hold a Bachelor of Social Work and I am currently awaiting examination for my MA in Social Work by Research with plans to pursue a PhD focused on education and disability from the University of the Witwatersrand. My research explores systemic violence and infrastructural barriers that hinder access to education for children with disabilities. In 2023, I was recognised as the top academic achiever in Research. I’ve worked as an academic support tutor and a student social worker in substance abuse intervention. My interests lie in social policy, inclusive education, and evidence-based policy reform. |
| Is there a Second Presenter? | No |
| Title of Presentatation | Infrastructural Deficit and Limited Access to Education for People with Disabilities in the Eastern Cape: Systemic Violence and Social Death. |
| Theme Selection | THEME 2: Social Work and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) |
| Subtheme TWO Selection | SUB 2.2 Research and practice strategies pertaining to health, mental health and wellbeing including poverty eradication, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth. |
| Select your Presentation Type | Oral Presentation |
| Abstract | Violence is a multifaceted concept rooted in historical, social, political, and economic dynamics. In South Africa, the enduring legacies of colonial-apartheid continue to manifest as systemic violence within the education system, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations, particularly people with disabilities. Despite the formal end of colonial-apartheid and the establishment of progressive educational policies, learners with disabilities, particularly in under-resourced rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape remain structurally excluded from quality education. The education system, rather than serving as a mechanism for empowerment, often reinforces inherited inequalities, discrimination, and exclusion, contributing to the social death of the marginalised. This study critically examined the persistent systemic exclusion of people with disabilities in South Africa’s basic education system with a specific focus on under-resourced rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape, focusing on human rights violations, infrastructural deficits, and restricted access to inclusive education. Framed within Critical Theory, Manichean Theory, and Freire’s pedagogical approach, and employed a qualitative case study design, the research involved purposive and snowball sampling of participants, including representatives from the Eastern Cape Department of Education, parents/guardians of children with disabilities, and the South African Human Rights Commission. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically, with rigorous attention to ethical standards and trustworthiness. The findings reveal that, while all learners are constitutionally entitled to equal access to education, significant structural barriers persist, particularly in rural and impoverished contexts, perpetuating cycles of exclusion and inequality. This research contributes to the discourse on educational justice by informing advocacy and policy reform strategies aimed at dismantling systemic barriers. In doing so, it aligns directly with Sustainable Development Goal 4, underscoring the imperative to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all, and highlighting the urgent need for redistributive policy interventions that prioritise accessibility, infrastructure, and meaningful participation for learners with disabilities. |
| Title | Prof |
| Firstname | Ulene |
| Lastname | Schiller |
| Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? | Yes |
| What Area does this Abstract Focus on? | Empirical Research |
| Status | Accepted |
| Title | |
| Firstname | |
| Lastname | |
| Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? | |
| What Area does this Abstract Focus on? | |
| Status | Pending Review |