Abstract:
The predictions are that two thirds of the world population will live in cities by the middle of this century. The distribution of people across urban and rural spaces differs across the regions of the globe, but the trend is for living to become ever more metrocentric, with urban life as normalcy. Working against the grain, communities in peripheral places, those far from urban centres, educate and bring up the next generation through schooling that is very often provided in ways that reflect place-based realities. Topology and topography shape education in positive and negative ways in peripheral places. This abstract discusses small schools with multi/mixed grade provision in peripheral contexts and focuses on the opportunities for rethinking inclusion that these specific conditions allow.