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Embracing Social Justice in Education through Spiritual Leadership

Wed, April 17, 8:00 to 9:30am, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Bay (Level 1), Bayview B

Proposal

Addressing issues of social justice is a prerequisite to building social cohesion in our schools. South Africa’s post-Apartheid Constitution draws on the Bill of Rights to affirm the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. As an emerging democracy, South Africa further seeks to address issues of social justice and equality in education through the South African Schools Act of 1996 (Part 2). This legislation, however, provides little insight into the type of educational leadership that will embrace social justice and transform South African society. Based on a study which explored the experiences of female educational leaders in South Africa’s disadvantaged rural school communities, this paper investigates spiritual leadership as an agent for the advancement of social justice in schools. The aims of this paper are: (i) to investigate the principles of social justice and equity as expressed through spiritual leadership; and (ii) to explore spiritual leadership and restorative justice as vehicles through which equity and social justice can be understood and enacted. While the South African Schools Act upholds the notion that public schools promote democracy through respect for all and a tolerance of diverse religious beliefs, this paper does not conflate spirituality with religion. Identifying connectedness and spirituality as preconditions for spiritual leadership, the study found that spiritual is a means through which social justice leadership can be enacted. Furthermore, it is argued that restorative justice is not the preserve of a particular religious’ tradition, but rather a manifestation of spiritual leadership and a vehicle through which social justice can be embraced and enacted.

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