HED4810 Assignment 3 2026 (Answer Guide) - DUE 15 September
2026
VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN
GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER
PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in your academics.
UNISA, 2026
Contents
Ubuntu, Individual Rewards and Inclusive Education in South African Schools ................... 2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Understanding Akabor and Phasha's argument.......................................................................... 2
Ubuntu as an alternative foundation .............................................................................................. 4
Questioning the complete abolition of individual rewards ....................................................... 5
Towards an inclusive reward system ............................................................................................. 6
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 7
References ............................................................................................................................................. 8
, Ubuntu, Individual Rewards and Inclusive Education in South African Schools
Introduction
Inclusive education seeks to ensure that all learners participate meaningfully in
education regardless of their abilities, backgrounds or social circumstances. However,
inclusion is not achieved simply by placing diverse learners in the same classroom. It
also requires schools to examine the values, relationships and practices that determine
who participates, who is recognised and who is marginalised. Within this context,
Akabor and Phasha (2022) argue that South African schools should reconsider
competitive practices and abolish rewards for individual efforts because such rewards
can undermine inclusion. They propose an Afrocentric perspective grounded in Ubuntu,
which emphasises interconnectedness, collaboration and a sense of collective
humanity.
This essay critically engages with their argument. It argues that I broadly agree with
Akabor and Phasha's (2022) criticism of competitive, rank-based individual
rewards, but I do not support the complete abolition of all forms of individual
recognition. Individual recognition can motivate learners and acknowledge genuine
effort when it is designed carefully. The central issue, therefore, is not whether learners
should ever be rewarded individually, but whether school reward systems promote
competition at the expense of cooperation, dignity and participation. Ubuntu provides a
valuable framework for redesigning such systems so that individual achievement
contributes to collective rather than competitive success.
Understanding Akabor and Phasha's argument
Akabor and Phasha (2022) challenge the competitive culture evident in many South
African schools. They argue that schools frequently encourage learners to outperform
their peers and subsequently reward those who achieve the highest results. From an
inclusive education perspective, this practice is problematic because it defines success
comparatively: one learner succeeds because another learner performs less well. The
authors therefore question whether such a system is compatible with the principles of
2026
VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN
GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER
PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in your academics.
UNISA, 2026
Contents
Ubuntu, Individual Rewards and Inclusive Education in South African Schools ................... 2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Understanding Akabor and Phasha's argument.......................................................................... 2
Ubuntu as an alternative foundation .............................................................................................. 4
Questioning the complete abolition of individual rewards ....................................................... 5
Towards an inclusive reward system ............................................................................................. 6
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 7
References ............................................................................................................................................. 8
, Ubuntu, Individual Rewards and Inclusive Education in South African Schools
Introduction
Inclusive education seeks to ensure that all learners participate meaningfully in
education regardless of their abilities, backgrounds or social circumstances. However,
inclusion is not achieved simply by placing diverse learners in the same classroom. It
also requires schools to examine the values, relationships and practices that determine
who participates, who is recognised and who is marginalised. Within this context,
Akabor and Phasha (2022) argue that South African schools should reconsider
competitive practices and abolish rewards for individual efforts because such rewards
can undermine inclusion. They propose an Afrocentric perspective grounded in Ubuntu,
which emphasises interconnectedness, collaboration and a sense of collective
humanity.
This essay critically engages with their argument. It argues that I broadly agree with
Akabor and Phasha's (2022) criticism of competitive, rank-based individual
rewards, but I do not support the complete abolition of all forms of individual
recognition. Individual recognition can motivate learners and acknowledge genuine
effort when it is designed carefully. The central issue, therefore, is not whether learners
should ever be rewarded individually, but whether school reward systems promote
competition at the expense of cooperation, dignity and participation. Ubuntu provides a
valuable framework for redesigning such systems so that individual achievement
contributes to collective rather than competitive success.
Understanding Akabor and Phasha's argument
Akabor and Phasha (2022) challenge the competitive culture evident in many South
African schools. They argue that schools frequently encourage learners to outperform
their peers and subsequently reward those who achieve the highest results. From an
inclusive education perspective, this practice is problematic because it defines success
comparatively: one learner succeeds because another learner performs less well. The
authors therefore question whether such a system is compatible with the principles of
