Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu (a Person is a Person Because of/or Through Others) and the Notion of Inclusive Education

Abstract

This chapter argues that challenges facing inclusive education in South Africa can be dealt with if the approach is rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu, a worldview expressed in South Africa's Nguni languages as “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which is the title of this chapter. The expression means a person is a person through others. Although the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and other related legislative frameworks advocate for education as a human right, the reality is that very few children with disabilities attend mainstream schools. They suffer exclusion due to prohibitive actualities like ill-equipped teachers, large classes, and lack of enabling resources. A lack of enforcement of applicable policies has led to discrimination on the basis of ability. For children with disabilities, the doors of learning are not yet open; these children are practically not “allowed” to attend mainstream schools. There is a need to replace Euro-centric education with Afro-centric education to promote the inclusion of all children.