Access challenges and their effects on enrolment of physically challenged learners integrated into public primary schools in Uasin gishu County, Kenya.

Abstract

Integrattion policy will improve the enrolment of physically challenged learners integrated into public primary schools. For schools to increase enrolment and retention of physically challenged learners, they need to provide appropriate infrastructure and enough special needs trained teachers. The study assessed Access challenges and their effects on enrolment of physically challenged learners integrated into public primary schools in Uasin-Gishu County in Kenya .The study sought to establish the effects of infrastructure and staffing of special needs trained teachers have on enrolment of physically challenged learners. It also examined the effects the effects of social and adaptive aids on enrolment of physically challenged learners in public primary schools. The study was based on social inclusion theory as developed by Clough and Corbert (2001). The theory stated that inclusive education is merely about providing access into mainstream classrooms for learners who have been excluded due to nature of disability either physically or mentality. The study adopted both Quantitative and Qualitative approaches. The study population included Head-teachers, education officers, teachers and learners with physical disabilities. Random sampling techniques was used to select 264 teachers. While purposive sampling was used to select 36 Head-teachers, 5 education officers, and 12 learners with physical disabilities to make a sample size of 312 respondents. The instruments used for data collections were inventory review, questionnaires and interview guides. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative procedure was applied to analyze the information from interviews where respondent answers were presented in words and interpretation made. The findings of the study revealed among other things that appropriate infrastructure was highly inadequate to suit the needs of learners with physical disabilities integrated into public primary schools. It was also evident that learners with physical disabilities integrated into public primary schools suffer low self- esteem. The teachers with special training were inadequate in main stream schools. The following recommendations were made; The state department of education to prepare a special budget in order to support learners with special needs, schools to put up appropriate infrastructure for conducive learning and the government to train enough expertize for every specific disability at all levels of education.