Looking for the Rural: Epistemic absences and cultural silence

In this chapter I look for the way the rural is recognised, and understood, within the Australian Curriculum. I build on my previous work examining the lack of recognition, and appreciation of, the rural in Australian education (Roberts, 2014, 2015). In that work I positioned the curriculum as a social justice issue related to the representation of the rural, and the in/ability of rural students to see themselves in schooling. Such a perspective builds upon recognitive and recognitional social justice arguments (e.g. Fraser, 2008; Young, 1990; Yeatman, 1990) around the ability of marginalised groups to be represented, and have a say in, the curriculum. Problematically, the rural has tended to be left out of the recognised groups deserving of particular attention. I argue that their interests are not represented in the current Australian Curriculum, and as such the place of the rural in modern Australia is questioned.