| dc.description.abstract | In the past, efforts have consisted of special educational programmes In segregated
settings. The unfortunate consequence of such differentiation, although well intended has
often been further exclusion. It is in line with this that the government advocated for the
implementation of inclusive education in regular schools. It is worth noting that children
with disabilities have immense difficulties in exercising their rights to education. Many
are not able to access education in their neighbourhood schools while others who had
enrolled have dropped out of the education system despite the ongoing efforts to
implement the inclusive education policy.
The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence implementation of
inclusive education policy of children with special needs in public primary schools in
Kitui North District. Five objectives and research questions were formulated to guide the
study. The researcher sought to establish if there are sufficient teaching and learning
resources for learners with special needs, to examine whether the primary school
curriculum is suitable for learners with special needs, among other objectives. The study
adopted an ex-post facto research design. The researcher targeted all the 25 public
primary schools with special units in the district from which a sample of 24 schools and
24 headteachers were selected. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 48
teachers handling learners with special needs in their classes to participate in the study.
Research instruments included questionnaires for headteachers and teachers and an
observation schedule. Before the main study, a pilot study was conducted to test the
validity and reliability of the instruments. The research instruments were found to be
valid and reliable. Using descriptive statistics, the data was analyzed and presented in
terms of Frequency tables, pie-charts, graphs and percentages.
The findings of the study revealed that most of the schools are ill-equipped and there is
an acute shortage of teaching aids and equipment appropriate for special needs education
as indicated by 71.4% of the headteachers. The findings also revealed that physical
facilities in public primary schools are not well structured to accommodate learners with
special needs as cited by 88.9% of the teachers. In addition, most schools lack adequately
trained teachers and support staff with knowledge in special needs education. The
curriculum taught in primary schools was also found to be rigid and does not cater for the
individual needs of learners with special needs as highlighted by 86.7% of teachers. The
study also revealed that the current level of financing special educational services is not
adequate to facilitate effective implementation of inclusive education in regular schools.
This is as indicated by 28.5% and 33.3% of head teachers who rated the level of financing
special education as very little and little respectively.
The researcher recommends the provision of adequate and appropriate teaching and
learning resources by the government for special needs education, modification of the
school physical facilities to make them disability friendly, and mobilization of teachers
by the Ministry of Education, to participate in the ongoing in-service training
programmes in special needs education. The researcher also recommends an increment in
the level of financing provision of special educational services in primary schools,
development of curriculum content by KIE and an assessment system flexible enough to
suit individual learners' needs, and above all, creation of awareness across the country on
issues of disabilities with an emphasis on the-right of every child to education. The study
identified areas in which further research should be conducted. These include a similar
study to be replicated in other parts of the country so as to derive a national perspective
on the status of inclusive education in regular primary schools. | en |
