Perceptions and practices of an inclusive education for social justice: The case of ZEP schools of Mauritius

This thesis explores inclusive education for social justice in the ‘Zones d’Education Prioritaires’ (ZEP) school project of Mauritius in response to the main research question: “What are the perceptions and practices of an inclusive education for social justice in ZEP schools of Mauritius”? The ZEP School Project aims to deliver an inclusive education by providing additional resources to schools in less developed regions of Mauritius for the purpose of improving the academic achievement of students in these schools. One strategy for inclusive education is to provide a quality education to those whose needs have been left unmet by the school and society as a result of social and structural inequalities. Such an approach to inclusive education reframes the concept within a social justice perspective which is mainly concerned with challenging marginalisation, disadvantage and lack of recognition. The following three sub-questions guided this study: a) What are the perceptions of ZEP school staff about an inclusive education for social justice and how is it implemented? b) What are the experiences of ZEP school stakeholders, including parents and learners, of an inclusive education for social justice in ZEP schools? c) What do these perceptions and practices mean for a model of an inclusive education for social justice in the Mauritian education system?