John Pampallis

HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE

CITATION: MR JOHN PAMPALLIS – SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING – DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

(D ED) (HONORIUS CAUSA)

GRADUATION PROGRAMME (extract page 68-69)

Monday – 6th May 2013 to Wednesday – 8th May 2013

Faculty of Education • Faculty of Management and Commerce

Faculty of Science and Agriculture • Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

PROFILE

“John Pampallis is special advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Blade Nzimande. Before that he was Director of the Centre for Education Policy Development, Evaluation and Management (CEPD) from 1997 to 2009. The CEPD is a professionally autonomous Centre established in 1993 on the initiative of the mass democratic movement in order to start developing education policy for a democratic South Africa.

Before moving to the CEPD Mr Pampallis worked as a Research Coordinator and then Director of the Education Policy Unit at the University of Natal. In these capacities he has contributed to the development of new policies for basic education for post apartheid South Africa. He has been particularly active in the development of policies for the governance on schooling. He was also a prominent member of the influential Hunter’s Committee on the Organisation Governance and Funding of schools which led to the conceptualisation of the South African Schools Act of 1996. The Hunter Committee was appointed by the Minister of Education to review the organisation governance and funding of education in South Africa. In addition Mr Pampallis has written, edited and acted as a consultant for a number of publications on education transformation in South Africa as well as the history of lthe liberation struggle. Before 1991 he taught in schools in South Africa, Botswana, Canada and Tanzania.

As Director of the CEPD, Mr. Pampallis in 2001, was instrumental in establishing an Education Policy Consortium (EPC) , which is a partnership of four university-based Education Policy Units, including the one which was based at the University of Fort Hare. The most significant activities of this consortium have been associated with a joint Sida/Dutch programme of research on Human Rights, Democracy and Social Justice in Education and a large research project on Rural Education in South Africa which was conducted with the HSRC for the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Several publications have been produced out of this research. They include the seminal works one entitled, Emerging Voices: a Report on Educationpublished by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The other publication which Mr. Pampallis co-edited is entitled, Democracy and Human Rights in Education and Society, published by Orebro University in Sweden.

As a researcher and writer disseminating progressive ideas, Mr Pampallis has other extensive experience in the fields of education, social and economic development. His contribution in this regard is backed by a series of publications covering titles on non-racialism and gender equality. Amongst the publications are the following:

Foundations of the New South Africa

Private Schooling: Problems of Elitism and Democracy in Education.

Education in a Future South Africa: Issues for Policy Transformation

Education and Equity: The Impact of State Policies on South African Education

Developing School Infrastructure through Public-Private Partnerships

Ten Years after: Education and Social Change in South Africa

In addition to the above, Mr. Pampallis was series editor of 13 other publications of biographies called „They Fought for Freedom’.

Mr Pampallis‟ passion for education, justice and democracy can be seen not only in his writings but also in the activism that has characterised his life. From May 1980 to December 1989 he was in exile in Tanzania working as a staff member of the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO). He taught History and English, was head of Social Science Department as well as Deputy Vice-Principal of the college. SOMAFCO was established and operated by the African National Congress for the education of South African exiles in Tanzania. His progressive ideas on non-racialism and gender equality saw Mr Pampallis, as director of the CEPD, introduce a very successful praxis oriented programmes, among which are the Capacity Building Internships and Forums.

Under the Capacity Building Internships the CEPD recruits young research professionals and develop them in all aspects of the Centre’s work over a one year period – primarily in research on education and social transformation. This programme started in 1997 and the CEPD normally has two interns at any one time. Former interns have generally moved onto responsible positions in the areas of education research or education management. These internships have been extended to the members of the EPC based at four universities around the country.

The Forums programme organises regular events and debates on education and social transformation. One of the most successful is the annual Solomon Mahlangu Memorial Lecture. This event was established to honour the Memory and Spirit of Solomon Mahlangu and the ideals for which he paid the ultimate price – a free and equal society in which education would be free and open to all.

The life and work of Mr John Pampalis during the liberation struggle, at the CEDP and currently at Department of Higher Education and Training epitomizes what is espoused in the University of Fort Hare vision and mission.

The University of Fort Hare is honoured to be associated with such a stalwart of education and liberation.”