The purpose of the study was to evaluate the practices of inclusive education at secondary schools in the rural contexts. The study followed a qualitative approach to evaluate the practices of inclusive education using the social realist perspective. A case study research design was used with an interpretive paradigm to evaluate the daily practices of inclusive education. The population in this study consists of the teachers, the
SBST and principals. Purposive sampling was used to select ten (10) teachers (two teachers per school). Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. The data was analysed thematically. Archer’s social realist perspective and Bernstein’s pedagogic discourse were used as theoretical lenses of this study to evaluate the practices of inclusive education. To ensure that the issues of ethical considerations were clarified, procedures related to anonymity, confidentiality, informed consent, and voluntary participation were followed. The participants were assured of their safety and anonymity. The results revealed that teachers misinterpret the
policy of inclusive education, because they view it as the policy supporting only learners with disabilities. The study further showed that most schools in Lebopo do not have functional school-based support teams, and they do not perform their duties as expected. The study also found that teachers do not have knowledge to apply the policy for Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support to assist learners with diverse needs. The study further discovered that parents of the learners with diverse needs are not engaged in the academic lives of their children; hence, the delay in the progress of the implementation of inclusive education practices. The study concluded that there was no sufficient support from the parents and monitoring by the Department of Basic Education in the implementation of inclusive education practices. The study recommended that the school-based support teams be trained continuously and that a parent-teacher collaborative approach be used to accomplish positive outcomes.

Key concepts: Inclusive education practices, diverse needs, rural context, School-Based Support Teams and Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support.