Breaking the Chains of Inequality:The Role of Human Rights Education in South AfricanSchools from an International and Comparative Perspective

This thesis explores how Human Rights Education (HRE) can be used as a powerful tool to address inequality, challenge racism, promote inclusion, and ensure fair access to resources in South African schools. By comparing the experiences of Black, Coloured, and former White schools, the study draws from a decolonial perspective and counter-narrative theory to examine how HRE is being implemented, and where it is falling short. I triangulated interviews, video material, and policy documents through a qualitative approach, using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis to explore how power, language and inequality are woven into school culture, policy, and practice. The findings reveal a troubling reality, while the language of human rights is common in schools, real change is limited. Educators are willing to embrace HRE, but face major barriers such as a lack of training, limited resources, and little support from education officials. The legacy of apartheid continues to shape schools in ways that reinforce division and inequality. This thesis argues that HRE can help break the chains of inequality, but only if it moves beyond symbolic gestures and becomes a meaningful, everyday practice integrated into school life. By highlighting both the gaps and the possibilities, this research contributes to ongoing conversations in International and Comparative Education about what it means to create truly inclusive and transformative learning spaces in post-apartheid South Africa.