South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world (Breetske, 2018), which also is visible in the schooling system, ranging from private, inner-city, township and rural schools. The general perception is that there is an ongoing crisis in South African education, and that the current system is failing the majority of South African’s youth (Spaul, 2013). There is worldwide consensus that the quality of education should already be addressed in the foundation phase, spanning the first three years of formal education. This article explores the perceptions of 282 foundation phase teachers predominantly in rural and township schools on various aspects regarding the education system. Using the theoretical framework of Mockler (2011) to assess teacher professional identity, the first dimension of teacher identity, namely personal experience, was used as lens to conduct the empirical study. Four themes emerged, namely competence, relationships, school context and challenges. Findings indicate that foundation phase teachers in general have positive attitudes towards various education related matters, but their perceptions were associated with the types of schools where they were teaching. Lack of resources and overcrowded classrooms were highlighted as manifestations of inequality.Group C: Teacher Professional Developmen
