During the last two decades the material and ideological processes by which schooling has assisted in the formation and reproduction of classes have formed an important theme in a burgeoning historical and sociological literature on the relationship between schooling and capitalism. In South Africa these structures and processes of schooling and socialization have differed from those elsewhere in that they have contributed to the reproduction of classes that are broadly racially defined. It is usual to trace the origins of apartheid education to the introduction of Bantu education. This article will show that the introduction of a racially divided system of education, playing its part in shaping a dispossessed and exploited black working class and a privileged and racist white ruling bloc, long predates the introduction of the Bantu Education Act of 1953. It is rooted in the pattern and dynamics of the particular form of South African capital accumulation, specifically the rapid growth and expansion of the gold-mining industry after 1886.

Historical research has contributed to our understanding of the evolution of juvenile justice and public school bureaucracies. Yet, these institutions remain an enigma as long as the rules guiding their actors cannot be identified with law, professional standards, or policy. Sociologists have used participant observation to disclose such “informal” or “backstage” understandings and rules, which are shared by organizational actors but not with the public. However, participant observation is limited, notably in its absence of historical and systemic perspectives. Because backstage rules have a history and are symbiotically related to bureaucratic evolution, a historical perspective may also contribute to unraveling this enigmatic aspect of public bureaucracies.