ARTICLES

Experiencing the South African undergraduate law curriculum

Ervaring van die voorgraadse regskurrikulum in Suid-Afrika

Lesley Greenbaum

BA LLB M Ed (HE) Ph D Senior Lecturer, Dept of Private Law, University of Cape Town

OPSOMMING

In 1998 is die vierjarige LLB-graad as deel van 'n post-apartheid transformasie-agenda bekendgestel. In 'n studie om die gepastheid van die vierjarige LLB-graad vas te stel, is 'n onderhoud met vier regsgegradueerde, nou praktiserende prokureurs, gevoer. Hierdie vier gegradueerdes was almal in dieselfde jaargroep aan dieselfde, historiese wit, universiteit. Die doel van hierdie deel van die empiriese studie was om insigte in die ondervinding van die voorgraadse leerplan van 'n verteenwoordigende groep gegradueerdes, wat almal die graad in die minimum voorgeskrewe tyd verwerf het, te kry.
Deur 'n fenomenografiese metodologie aan te neem, wat poog om die verskillende persepsies van respondente in verband met 'n sekere ondervinding te ondersoek, in hierdie geval die ondervinding van die voorgraadse leerplan vir regte, het die studie 'n ontleding van sommige wyses waarop die studente op die LLB leerplan gereageer het, ontwikkel. Die kategorieë omskrywings wat uit die gegradueerdes se onderhoude afgelei is, het 'n interessante "oorsig van die kollektiewe denke" van die gegradueerdes tot gevolg gehad: die instrumentele strategis (buitestander); die pragmatiese generalis (in gemaksone) en die omvormde beroepsgeörienteerde (betrokke binnestander). Hierdie drie posisies blyk drie hiërargies-geordende vlakke van ingeskakeldheid met die leerplan te weerspieël.
Die sleutelbeginsels wat die ontwerp van die voorgraadse leerplan sou inlig, naamlik die integrering van vaardighede, uitdruklike onderrig van etiek en die sensitisering van studente vir die praktisering van die reg in 'n diverse, pluralistiese samelewing, is nie effektief geïmplimenteer nie en dit speel 'n rol in die manier wat regstudente die leerplan ervaar. 'n "Kringloop van nadeel" het uit die data te voorskyn gekom as 'n voorstelling van die herhaling van historiese nadeel deur die leerplan. Vir baie "nie-tradisionele" studente, neig hulle status as "buitestanders" - beide in die universiteit en verder wanneer hulle die sfeer van die professionele inkweking binnegaan -tesame met hulle persoonlike geskiedenis en verwagtinge, om hulle sosiale stand na te boots. Die leerplan vir regte neig om bestaande ongelykhede weer op te lewer eerder as om as 'n omvormende middel te dien.
Ten slotte ontwikkel die outeur 'n paar voorstelle vir maniere waarop die ondervinding van die voorgraadse leerplan vir regte in Suid-Afrika 'n omvormende opvoedkundige proses kan word, in plaas daarvan dat dit 'n belemmering bly vir baie studente wat poog om toegang tot die regsberoep te kry.

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