Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)
As South African schools continue to become more integrated in terms of race and culture, school leaders need to find ways to address diversity and create a harmonious school community. This study focused on Ubuntu as a strategy to promote a multicultural ethos in schools. The theoretical framework was Malunga’s (2009:12) five pillars of Ubuntu Leadership and Poovan, du Toit and Engelbrecht’s (2006:18) values of Ubuntu. Data was collected by means of three focus group interviews with the SMTs in three primary schools. Data was analysed by means of thematic analysis and five themes emerged. The first theme was ‘attitudes towards Ubuntu as a strategy to promote multiculturalism’ which indicated that participants were in favour of the Ubuntu approach and agreed that it could work at their schools. However, a condition necessary for Ubuntu philosophy to succeed in schools indicated that the Department of Education needs to endorse the concept of Ubuntu formally. ‘Challenges to multiculturalism in schools’ emerged as the second theme which indicated that the people in the school community avoid conversions about each other religious beliefs and cultural traditions...