Challenges facing implementation of inclusive Education programme in public primary schools, parklands district, nairobi, kenya.

Abstract

Despite many efforts being put forth for the successful implementation of inclusive education in public primary schools in Kenya, there are still numerous challenges facing this area. Students who have learning disabilities find it extremely challenging to exercise their rights in education due to their condition. Many students with learning disabilities find it difficult to fit into the normal school environment, hence making the process of learning even more difficult. Due to this many students with learning disabilities have dropped out of the school system because of the numerous encounters that they have had to face The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges facing the implementation of inclusive education programme in public primary schools in the Parklands District. The researcher formulated four research objectives and questions that were used to guide the study. The research questions were used to determine the supply levels of teaching-learning resources in inclusive education settings, to establish the general strength of the human capital in schools with learners with disabilities and other special needs, to assess the extent of the learner-friendliness of the environments in which learners with disabilities and other special needs learn and to determine the general efficacy of the administration in inclusive education settings. The literature review shed light on the various aspects of inclusive education from the classroom to the outside environment to the teachers involved in this type of programme. The researcher targeted two public primary schools in the Parklands district and applied the purposive sampling technique to select only teachers handling learners with special needs in their classes to participate in the study. The findings of the study revealed that there was an acute shortage of teaching and learning resources to cater for learning disability students in inclusive settings. The findings also revealed that the teachers who are present in inclusive classrooms lacked the required training and qualifications required to handle students with learning disabilities. The study also went on to establish that the environment that these students are learning in lacks basic necessities in order to make it conducive enough for learning to take place. The study recommends that The Ministry of Education should consider increasing the availability of special needs courses, workshops and conference for teachers in public primary schools who are working with students with learning disabilities in inclusive settings. The study also recommends that the government should consider providing more funding to improve the structures of the buildings in schools by improving the physical facilitates like the washrooms, the playground and ramps. A similar study should be replicated in various parts of the country so as to get a better picture of the status of inclusive education programmes in the public primary schools in Kenya.