Inclusive and Supportive Education Congress
International
Special Education Conference
Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity?
1st - 4th August 2005. Glasgow, Scotland
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Inclusive and Supportive Education Congress 1st - 4th August 2005. Glasgow, Scotland |
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JULIA L. MATALE, M.Ed
Jmatale@gov.bw
The education of learners with visual impairment in the Botswana Education System dates as far back as 1969. This was an initiative by Christofel Blinden Mission which operated under the auspices of the Dutch Reformed Church of Germany. They established the first Centre for the Blind in the Kgatleng District in Mochudi Village with an enrolment of 6 children. With increase in public education on issues of disability and the importance attached to education by the people of Botswana school enrolments of children with visual impairment have increased over the years. Current enrolment at both primary, secondary school and tertiary stands at about five hundred (500) and the distribution is as follows: 380 at primary level, 100 at secondary level and 20 at tertiary level.
Progression from primary school to junior secondary school level is automatic while from junior secondary to senior secondary school is on merit. The Ministry of Education has over the years observed with concern that children with visual impairment are not achieving, as they should. Consequently, very few have accessed tertiary education or qualified for University admissions.
On the other hand it has been observed that before the adoption of the Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE) Government Paper No. 2 of April 1994, the few visually impaired children who had access to education seemed to perform better in their Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) and the then Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) now Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE). Consequently, progressed to tertiary level despite the fact that the first education policy did not address the needs of all learners. “Education for Kagisano” Government paper No. 1 of 1977, was silent on the education and training of children with disabilities.
Since the adoption of the Revised National Policy on Education in 1994, several programmes have been established not only to increase access to education for all children but also to improve on quality, relevance and effectiveness of education. Such measures include the following:-
The topic will therefore explore some of the factors that impact negatively on the performance of the visually impaired learners given the number of reforms introduced in the Botswana Education system. What are the gaps? Are the interventions adopted leading Botswana towards inclusion?
The Demographic Context
Botswana has a population of approximately 1.6. Million, with 2.99% persons with various disabilities. The highest proportion of disabled persons is found in Kgalagadi, North-West, Southern and Ghanzi Districts with 5.35%, 4.55%, 4.29% and 4.15% respectively. The North West District was found to be the highest proportion of disabled people (Mukamambo, Shaibu and Lesetedi, 2003.) According to 2001 population and Housing Census the major disability in Botswana seems to be visual impairment followed by hearing impairment. Similar findings were recorded during the 1991 census (Mukamambo, Shaibu and Lesetedi 2003).
Inclusion of Children with Visual Impairment.
The representatives of 92 Government at the World Conference on Special Needs Education in Salamanca, 1994, urged all government to adopt as a matter of law or policy the principles of inclusive education (The Salamanca statement on principle, policy and practice in special needs education). Indeed, current international policy frameworks advocate for the educational inclusion of all children hitherto excluded from education (Kisanji 2003).
Botswana was among the first countries to respond to the call for inclusive education by adopting the Revised National Policy on Education of 1994. Needless to mention that RNPE is the first policy to map out special needs education terrain.
Before addressing the topic, it might be worth explaining or defining what inclusion or inclusive education is. Katie Schultz Stout (2001) WEAC's Director of Instruction and Professional Development defines the term as follows:
Inclusion is a term which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend. It involves bringing the support services to the child (rather than moving the child to the services) and require only that the child will benefit from being in the class (rather than having to keep up with the other students).
The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (UNESCO, 1994) provides a policy direction for inclusive education. It states every child has a fundamental right to education and must be given the opportunity to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of learning… Those with special educational needs must have access to regular schools which should accommodate them within a child centred pedagogy capable of meeting these needs (UNESCO, 1994:iii).
In the RNPE inclusive education is:
These in essence are the goals of special needs / inclusive education. The interest in people with disabilities in Botswana is not only seen as humane, but it also falls within the rims of the third pillar of Vision 2016: According to the pillar, Botswana hopes to achieve. " A compassionate, just and caring nation" which provides for social safety for vulnerable groups and accessibility of mental health treatment for all by 2016 (Mukamamba, Shaibu & Lesetedi, 2003). A Long - Term Vision for Botswana: Towards Prosperity for All; popularly known in short as vision 2016, characterises what Botswana should be by the end of year 2016. It commits to having “an educated and informed nation”.
Among the learners who have access to education and training in Botswana albeit in small numbers are those with visual impairment. As stated earlier they have been accessing education since 1969 but with poor performance as compared to other learners in the national examinations. There are no comprehensive or national data available on special education students’ academic gains, graduation rates, preparation for post-schooling, work, or involvement in community living (Katie Stout Schultz, 2001).
Although no research has been conducted to determine factors that contribute to poor performance by visual impaired learners in Botswana, with more, understanding and new insights into what constitute inclusive education one can immediately identify, gaps in our education system which impacts negatively in learner performance. The gaps are many but because of time only a few will be discussed. These include; lack of opportunities for pre-school or early childhood education, lack of parental involvement and attendance in neighbourhood school, inadequate funding for integrated schools.
One of the goals of Education For All Dakar Framework for Action is expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. In a bid to address this goal, government has developed a comprehensive policy on early childhood care and education. The policy gives direction, on the services for age group 0-3 years. Policy guidelines have also been developed. The guidelines indicate the standards to be followed in the process of establishing pre-school and other related activities.
While government recognises the importance and need to develop this level of education, she has still not committed herself to its universal provision. The programme has remained in the hands of the private sector who charge exorbitant fees. Consequently, very few children have access to early childhood education.
Currently children with visual impairment are among learners who do not benefit from early childhood education. They start school late at the ages of 6 years when little can be done for appropriate intervention measures for school readiness. Early childhood special education is defined by Peterson (1987) as a new but an ever evolving field of educational research and practice which seeks to respond to young disabled children's developmental needs very early in their lives. It is an intervention programme designed to reduce and or off set the debilitating efforts of disability condition, thereby helping to improve the disabled children's prospects for primary, secondary and education. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 29 adds that "the education of the child shall be directed of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential". The John Hopkins University research study on Success For All and other intensive early intervention programmes demonstrated that early and continuing intervention nearly all children can be successful in reading for example. Young visually impaired children need to be trained early in Orientation and Mobility (O&M), pre-braille skills and skills for a Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Such skills will enable them to master their environment and attain independence.
While the resources may not permitting for government to provide universal early childhood care and education, there is in urgent need to provide positive discrimination for children with special educational needs. The importance of early learning for children with visual impairment cannot be over emphasised.
2. Lack of Parental Involvement and attendance in neighbourhood school
When the government increasingly became interested in the education and welfare of people with disabilities and adopted the Revised National Policy on Education. She did not do away with special schools and residential institutions owned and run by Non Governmental Organisation. She acknowledged their initiative, wealth of experience and long standing contribution in the field of special needs education by offering them annual subsidy. Currently there are 17 Non Governmental Organisation benefiting from the Scheme. The subsidy has since strengthened the partnership between the two parties, consequently children no longer pay school fees as they used to.
Some NGO provide schools as well as residential accommodation others residential only, to cater for children from all over the country.
The visually impaired are amongst the special needs learners who although are educated along side their peers, attend school far away from their locality in residential accommodation. Currently there are four such facilities; two at primary school level (Lephoi and Linchwe II primary schools) and two at secondary school level (Linchwe Community Junior Secondary and Molefhi Senior Secondary Schools). In addition there is Pudulogong Vocational Rehabilitation Centre where youth are given vocational skills training. No doubt this type of provision though with good intentions has now been overtaken by events, as this tends to hinder parental involvement in the education of their children. Inclusive settings suggest that school needs to work with parents (Mittler, 2000.) We know that the world is an inclusive community. It is very important to learn and grow within communities that represent the kind of world " children live in when they finish high school: Mara Sapen- Shevin (www.uni.edu/coe.inclusion/values). Concerning attendance of school within one's own environment, Mitler, (2000) notes attendance in neighbourhood school as one of the essentials of inclusion.
Indeed Non Governmental Organisations are doing a commendable job and have carried us this far. With new developments in the field of education and insights as well as understanding the concept of inclusion, we should pull our resources together and gradually see fewer V.I. learners placed in residential settings in the remaining 3 years of NDP 9.
3. Financing of Integrated School/Inadequate Funding
The Ministry of Education "Report on Challenges Facing the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Botswana, 2001" reveal that whilst a significant number of children with special educational needs, are enrolled in schools not all of them had access to the curriculum. That this was attributed to inadequate provision of materials and equipment. Communication with some schools principals especially at secondary school revealed that schools do not have adequate funds to procure the necessary resources.
It is obvious that schools without teachers, textbooks or learning materials will not be able to do an effective job: In that sense resources are important for education quality - although how and to how and to what extent this is so has not yet been fully determined (Grisay A. and Marilck L. 1991). There is a need for facilities, materials and many other things to ensure the delivery of quality and relevant education
Research studies assessing the effectiveness of inclusion have revealed that the best results occurred in schools with the highest level of funding; that when resources are available to provide supplementary aids all children do better (Katie Schultz Stout 2001).
There is a need for the Ministry of Education to provide a distinct per capita grant for special needs learners in particular at secondary school level.
These are some of the challenges that Botswana still has to address to raise the academic performance of children with visual impairment . As Mittler, Ibid notes, many writers stress that inclusion is a journey without an end. It is not a one time event, but a process. Indeed it is a life time process that governments have to continuously engage in, to attain quality education. As Batswana move into the global world there is a need for competitiveness; There is a need to prepare our learners for this competition.
References
Government Paper No 2 of 1994
Government Printer, Gaborone, Botswana
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