Reclaiming Democratic Education: Rethinking Policy and Praxis in Universities

Major South African philosopher of education Yusef Waghid reflects on the 25-year development of his thoughts on democratic higher education in the decolonial context. Looking back to the initial optimism about democratic educational transformation in post-apartheid South Africa, philosopher of education Yusef Waghid asks how the promise of profound change in universities has floundered, and how it can be recovered. In an era marked by rising authoritarianism, managerialism, and technocratic imperatives, higher education risks becoming a factory of credentialing rather than a crucible for democratic citizenship. By critically re-examining earlier commitments and exposing how policies intended to promote educational equity can instead reproduce domination, the book argues for a renewed, ethically grounded engagement with democracy that acknowledges both its fragility and its transformative potential. Blending reflective narrative, critical theory, and case studies of institutional reform and protest movements #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall, the text moves between philosophical deliberation and on-the-ground praxis. Each chapter engages key thinkers—Dewey, Gutmann, Giroux, Rancière, Todd, Biesta, Mbembe, Appiah, Habermas, Benhabib—while drawing on the author’s experience in policy development, curriculum design, and leadership in South African universities.