Slow violence, depoliticisation and hope: Cultural landscapes of schooling in Wentworth, South Africa.

This ethnographic study examines environmental learning at Durban South Primary School in Wentworth, a South African township heavily affected by industrial pollution and environmental racism. It finds that formal schooling tends to depoliticise young people's understanding of environmental decay by emphasizing discipline, individual responsibility, and economic development, while marginalizing political engagement and historical accountability. However, informal learning and the efforts of some educators and students reveal subterranean, politically aware narratives that engage with environmental justice and activism, highlighting the potential of education beyond formal curricula. The study situates these dynamics within broader socio-political contexts of apartheid legacies, bureaucratic schooling, and community activism, illustrating both the challenges and possibilities for fostering environmental awareness in marginalized communities.