The education system in South Africa is struggling to help learners to develop their full potential, particularly those from poor and rural communities. Research has shown that a lack of communication skills has become a major challenge and a barrier to learning for many learners. The current situation in this country requires us to consider not only children who have specific communication impairments, but also those battling to develop communication skills when their situation places them at a severe disadvantage. Speech-language therapy in a school context is a much-needed academic text for training students in speech-language therapy and audiology to work effectively in an educational environment. Speech-language therapy in a school context promotes collaborative practices among professionals, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, learning support therapists and teachers, while reinforcing the ethical principles and practices required by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. It provides theory and practical guidelines in line with the Revised National Curriculum Statement and is supported by interactive learning activities. Chapters include the following: Speech-language therapy in a multicultural context; Inclusive education in South Africa; Communication as a critical resource for everyday living, learning and earning; Institutional language policies: the South African Schools Act; Multilingualism and primary language impairment; Ensuring culture-fair assessment and intervention; Integrated classroom-based speech-language services; Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems; Educational psychology in South Africa. Speech-language therapy in a school context is aimed at students in speech-language therapy and audiology and is also a valuable foundational text for practicing therapists.

Higher education has transformed and continues to transform in this century, because of decolonizing the curriculum and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have added an indelible mark to the methodology of teaching and learning. Learning spaces have become open to more people through privatization, massification, e-learning platforms and internationally mobile academics, allowing individuals from diverse backgrounds to enter the academic and helping professions space. Educators need to reskill, repurpose, redesign, and reimagine for a world that is rapidly evolving. New ways of teaching need to consider nuances of decolonization of the curriculum, deep understanding of subjects, transformative ways of imparting knowledge and technology-enhanced learning needs to be embraced. Thus, the teaching and learning spaces in developed and developing environments move beyond the classroom to prepare 21st century citizens to embrace life-long learning. Furthermore, the content as well as processes involved in teaching and learning must be explored thoughtfully that includes the perspectives of a more inclusive wave of educators and students. Thus, this book has implications for a global scholarship, specifically during disruptive times in Higher Education. It is hoped that the book stimulates reflections so that the reader draws inspiration to find contextual relevance that extends into the real-world.

Access to and participation in education are critical issues in contemporary South Africa. Awareness of inclusiveness and equality is not recent, having possibly first been described in the dawn of the millennium by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Drawing from the current framings in the SADC education systems the contributors argue that ICT has a key role to play in transformation, Africanisation and decolonisation of education. Contributors are: Skye Adams, Najma Agherdien, Andrew Crouch, Andries Du Plessis, Nazira Hoosen, Katijah Khoza-Shangase, Mhulaheni Maguvhe, Khetsiwe Masuku, Sharon Moonsamy, Munyane Mophosho, Nomfundo Moroe, Ramashego Shila Mphahlele, Ndileleni Mudzielwana, Shonisani Mulovhedzi, Anniah Mupawose, Mapula Ngoepe, Moshe Phoshoko, Dhanashree Pillay, Roshni Pillay, Ben Sebothoma and Susan Thuketana.

This book describes problems faced by underserved and unserved populations. These are the growing number of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, as well as those among native born populations who lack equal access to basic health and education services, nutrition, clean water, and adequate living conditions. These inequalities result from the power deficit that derives from structural or systemic racism. Critical reflection or critical thinking allows us to better understand the systemic exercise of power by dominant groups that support a racial or ethnic hierarchy that has a negative impact on the living standards of the underserved and unserved. This hierarchy establishes a ranking of groups under the control of a dominant group, leading to inequalities in education, healthcare, income, and wealth. Critical reflection allows us to recognize how systems of privilege and oppression have influenced our thinking and actions. Studies conducted in the United States and South Africa show that marginalized groups reported receiving poor quality of health care, facing discrimination because of their race or ethnicity and communication/language barriers. The chapters in this book examine the inequalities faced by underserved and unserved populations in several countries across the globe, with strategies to address these problems. This book would be of interest to the general population, along with courses in health care, sociology, political science, and courses and schools of public health.