Education has provided a key area of focus for post-apartheid politics in South Africa. In a society where the financial and economic sector is increasingly heading in the direction of market-orientated policies, the education sector is expected to take on a central role in delivering the just society to the mass of South Africans. Yet for a variety of reasons related to the apartheid legacy ?the political circumstances that produced the "new" South Africa, the current state of the economy, and the global nature of economic reforms ?it has been difficult for the new government to meet the expectations of the majority of people in the sphere of education In a country where the politics of education has been the cause for bitterness and strife in the past, it is of vital importance that the majority of South African educators, parents, employers and workers feel satisfied that they are able to participate meaningfully in the current changes. This collection of readings aims at providing such readers with a critical perspective on the unfolding educational policies and provides a platform for participation in those debates.