Planetary Boundaries in the South African School FET Geography Curriculum

This study examines the representation of the planetary boundaries framework within the South African Further Education and Training (FET) Phase Geography curriculum. Using a mixed-methods interpretive design combining lexical frequency analysis and critical curriculum interpretation, the research quantified the frequency and co-occurrence of terms associated with the nine planetary boundaries. The findings show that while the curriculum foregrounds sustainability and addresses issues such as freshwater systems and climate, it fails to explicitly embed the scientific concepts that underpin planetary thresholds. Critical domains such as biogeochemical cycles, atmospheric aerosol loading, and ocean acidification are largely absent. Interpreted through a critical curriculum theory lens, these silences restrict learners’ capacity to situate local environmental challenges within global systemic risks, thereby undermining the development of transgressive learning and planetary consciousness. The findings contribute to international debates on how geography education can foster planetary literacy and systemic reasoning in diverse educational contexts. The study concludes that explicitly incorporating planetary boundaries and fostering systemic reasoning in learning outcomes would strengthen Geography’s role in cultivating the critical knowledge and competencies required to navigate the Anthropocene.