Among the University of Fort Hare’s Spring 2025 graduates was Dr Anél Odendaal, an Admitted Attorney and Lecturer in the Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, who received her Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree. Her doctoral research critically examines the extent to which the child’s right to basic education has been realised in post-apartheid South Africa. It explores both access and quality within legal and policy frameworks.
Titled “The Realisation of the Child’s Right to Education in Post-1994 South Africa,” Dr Odendaal’s thesis applies Katarina Tomaševski’s 4A Framework: availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability. It assesses whether South African children attend school and receive meaningful, quality education.
Her study analyses the Constitution, judicial decisions, and national legislation. This includes the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act 38 of 2024. It highlights systemic challenges such as infrastructure gaps, resource inequalities, and uneven school quality. The research concludes with practical recommendations to strengthen implementation to ensure the constitutional promise of education is realised for all children.
For Dr Odendaal, graduating with a doctoral degree was also deeply personal. Although she had completed three previous degrees—Bachelor of Civil Law (1997), LLB (1999), and LLM (2003)—she had never attended a graduation ceremony before.
The LLD, she said, felt particularly meaningful. “My thesis reminded me of how privileged I have been to study. I now recognize something I once took for granted as an extraordinary gift. Writing this thesis was a humbling journey, filled with late nights and doubts. It had the challenges of balancing academic work with family life. This was especially true with a demanding career, two children in high school, and my daughter completing matric last year.”
She credited her supervisor, Prof Arthur van Coller, her family, and colleagues for their support. She acknowledged that this milestone would not have been possible without them.
Dr Odendaal reflected on the experience as a moment of gratitude and renewed appreciation for the opportunities education has afforded her.