Rural Education in South Africa: Concepts and Practices

Abstract

This paper presents a critique of rural education in South Africa. It starts by introducing the reader to the understanding of rurality. It then gives an expos? of rural education in relation to sustainability, social justice, development and the need for creation of sustainable rural learning ecologies. It concedes that difference is an inherent, inevitable and indispensable feature of social existence and education, arguing that rural education needs to embrace difference, shape demands and model social benefits in accordance with the realities of a particular rural setting. Therefore, the application of sustainability, social justice and development should be done in a differentiated manner with strong emphasis on the peculiarities of each rural community.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n4p462