Influence of Inclusive Education Management on Performance of Learners with Disabilities in Regular Primary Schools in Sabatia Sub-County, Kenya

Lilian Asirigwa1 and DrWafula Robert Wekesa2

1Mount Kenya University

2Kibabii University)

Abstract

Inclusive Education aims at transforming schools and learning centres to cater for all school going children without discrimination in line with the EFA goal and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) No.  2 of Universal Education. The World Declaration on Education for All adopted in Jomtien Thailand (1990), the Education for all goals (EFA) and the recent World Conference on special needs Education in Salamanca Spain (1994) all affirm the need for inclusive Education. Most developed Countries have invested heavily in inclusive Education by providing facilities and training manpower. Asia, North East India, and Papua New Guinea have continued to show that inclusive Education does work well. However, most sub-Saharan Africa countries still haven’t implemented  inclusive Education because of financial constraints and lack of trained personnel (UNESCO, 2008). In Kenya, the Government of Kenya (GoK) through Disability Act stresses that no person/learning institution shall deny admission to a person with a disability by reason only of such disability(Act 14 of 2012),also through a policy document Sessional paper 1 of 2005 stresses the need to have inclusive education (GoK, 2005). The new Constitution also envisages inclusive Education in free Basic Education. (GoK, 2010). This means that every child irrespective of gender, disability, and race has a right to attain basic Education. However, there is need for greater awareness and understanding of the educational and social problems that affect learners with special needs and how to support the program. Hence the need for this study to assess influence of inclusive education management on performance of learners with disabilities in regular primary schools in Sabatia Sub County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: assess the availability of teaching/learning resources management effect and establish the attitude of the school managers effect on performance of learners with disabilities in Sabatia Kenya. The study used mixed methodology design with concurrent triangulation. The target population was 226 which consisted of 105 head teachers, 105 teachers and 16 education officers. The sample was 48 participants composed of 22 head teachers, 22 teachers and 4 education officers. Sample was from 105 schools, composed of 98 public schools and 7 private schools and systematic random sampling was employed. The study used inclusive management theory, and production function input output model theory. Data instruments; questionnaires for teachers and interview schedule for education officers. Piloting was done in three schools involving 10 participants who were not included in the study.  Quantitative data was presented in descriptive statistics using tables, means, standard deviation, and percentages. Inferential statistics used where; Pearson, chi-square and ANOVA in SPSS Version 22. The study revealed that there were inadequate teaching and learning materials for learners with special needs. However, more than three quarters of the teachers held positive attitude towards LSN. It was recommended more teacher collaboration time and overall school plan for ongoing progress on how inclusion should take place in school systems and Ministry of Education should provide a special education funds vote in the Free Primary Education to procure adequate teaching/learning resources.

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