Unity in Diversity: Ubuntu in the Classroom to Promote Learning among Adults from Diverse Backgrounds

Abstract Millions of adults in South Africa are illiterate because they did not attend school during childhood. To equip them with literacy skills to enable them contribute to the development of the country the government of 1994 made basic education available. The adults who attend basic education classes come from diverse backgrounds with wealth of experiences. Such experiences could enhance learning during classroom interactions. The present study is based on experiences of the author, focuses on the application of Ubuntu (sharing, love, respect, cooperation and support) as a teaching strategy to elicit experiences, support and cooperation among learners. As an adult educator for over three decades the author sees learning as a social activity and when classroom interaction is based on the precepts of ubuntu it may not only promote peer support but also encourage the practice of ubuntu and promote social cohesion in a country polarized by apartheid, racism, ethnicity and xenophobia.