Education and Democracy

About the Book

“A book to be read by all those who embrace education which will enable the next generation to become productive members of the South African society.” -Dr. Zinziswa Nqweni, Psychologist-Senior Lecturer, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa “A valuable and timely contribution on the state of the post-Apartheid education system. Strongly grounded in a review of relevant research and first-hand observations and experiences, Dr. Mqota’s book will be of interest to both academics and practitioners in South Africa and beyond. While Education and Democracy enriches the academic literature on post-Apartheid South African education, it does not lose sight of the practical importance of this issue, providing straightforward and accessible advice to those ‘in the trenches:’ teachers, principals, and importantly, parents. In short, while this book highlights the challenges of post-Apartheid education in terms of the achievement and socioeconomic gaps and diversity, its most important contribution is that it offers creative and thoughtful solutions to these challenges -Krisztina Tihanyi, Ph.D., Cornell University, New York.

About the Author

Velile Mqota grew up in Kwazakhele Township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A clinical psychologist, he is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Assistant Director of the Africana at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at New Jersey City University where he taught courses such as: Treat¬ment of Addictions and Substance Abuse Counseling, Group Counseling, Developmental Psychology, Human Sexuality, Multicultural Counseling to undergraduate and graduate levels. He is also the Executive Director of MQOTA Publishers in New York. His preceding books – The Bouquet of Roses: a collection of love poems (2002) and Education and Democracy: A View from Soweto re¬ceived critical acclaim. He is currently editing his third and fourth books: A South African Writer’s Handbook (2007) and Helping Children Overcome the Trauma of Rape in South Africa (2008).He lives in Montclair with his wife, Nosintu and children, Kamvalekhaya and Hlumelo.