Factors Influencing Enrolment Of Learners With Disabilities In Primary Schools With Inclusive Education In Nandi South District, Kenya.

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the factors influencing enrolment of learners with disabilities in primary schools with inclusive education in Nandi South district, Kenya. The study used a conceptual framework showing factors influencing enrolment in special needs education institutions such as finance, physical facilities and instructional material, teacher preparedness and curriculum relevancy. Objectives of the study were: to determine how physical facilities in institutions in Nandi South District are structured to accommodate learners with special needs; to determine how sufficient were teaching and learning resources for learners with disability in Nandi South; to determine preparedness of teachers to handle learners with disability in Nandi South; to determine how the available curriculum in institutions was relevant for learners with special needs; to determine adequacy of available funds in financing special needs education. The study used an ex-post facto research design and data was gathered using two questionnaires for head teachers and teachers. The sample consisted of 44 head teachers and 306 class teachers. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics supported by tables, graphs, frequency, distribution and percentages. The same data was also analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS). It was found out that the factors under investigation influenced enrolment of learners with disability. Notably, there was a decrease in enrolment because most of the facilities were not structured to accommodate learners with disability; Secondly, though limited and delayed ,funds were availed to schools and basic requirements like exercise books, chalk and exam material were adequate in virtually all the schools. Other challenges included insufficient, inconsistent and delayed funding which affects planning of school, lack of adequate trained staff teaching and learning materials and physical facilities to match the increased learning enrolment was noted to be very low hence needed to be addressed. Therefore it was observed that all the education stakeholders should work together to address these problems. The recommendations were that government should allocate more funds, the physical facilities need to be structured, TSC should recruit more trained teachers and the curriculum should be structured.