Modelling Inclusive Education in Rural Schools

Abstract

The successful development of truly inclusive societies requires critical sectors of the community to uphold principles of inclusiveness. These include, but are not limited to, the nucleus family, extended family, and school. Nonetheless, this chapter shows how inclusive education can be modelled or provided in rural schools found in African settings. This is basically viewed through the lenses of ‘ubuntu' and ‘Afrocentrism'. In the African context, these concepts denote issues of humanity, justice, dignity, respect for one another, and connectedness of people. It is on the basis of these that the provision of inclusive education in rural schools is interrogated. A selection of African countries is used to validate the discussion. The chapter further discusses challenges and factors influencing successful implementation of inclusive education in rural schools. Remarks that provide suggestions for best practice conclude the chapter.