4.8.1 Issues Impacting Inclusive Education for Highly Able Students in South Africa - Renewed Advocacy Efforts

In the drive to provide access for all and address the needs of marginalized learners in post-apartheid South African education, the focus has been on empowerment through a postcolonial approach. Movements such as *Fees must Fall and Rhodes must Fall* have disrupted both school and university education as students become empowered to demand access, funding and services. However, discrete identification of high-ability learners has been viewed as inequitable, discriminatory and exclusionary, resulting in a lack of attention to their needs and ineffective curriculum in provincial schools. Little research has been conducted on gifted learners and teachers are not trained to address the needs of this population. However, the current South African President, through his Foundation, has voiced a call to develop academic excellence in South African youth and promote leadership programs. In addition, Bishop Desmond Tutu has confirmed the urgency of addressing the needs of high potential and gifted learners for a productive future in South Africa in relation to a philosophy of "Ubuntu" (GEI, 2017). There has been a major growth in privatization in education for all economic levels with innovative approaches - many schools have implemented higher level challenges in the private sector. In 2018 a collaborative effort between an American university and a university in Johannesburg initiated an Institute on High Ability, with a team of 6 US specialists in gifted education and 25 local presenters that addressed the At-risk, Low-income, Twice-Exceptional, Creative, Diverse gifted in a series of workshops and a conference. Discussions at local schools and interactive workshops engaged local teachers in problem-solving sessions and teaching strategies. This included participants from Nigeria, Kenya, and Botswana. This presentation will include 3 of the Institute presenters who will examine: social and political challenges and trends impacting education of the gifted in Southern Africa; the challenges faced by teachers in implementing a postcolonial curriculum; research on mathematically gifted; culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum for highly able learners; creative curriculum for a society in transition; futures and new technologies. Approaches to Advocating for High Ability Learners within a resistance to separatism will describe the professional development model used. The impact of this advocacy will be shared with examples of teacher practice.

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