CHALLENGES FACING IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RONGO SUB- COUNTY, MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The thrust of this study was to investigate the challenges facing the implementation of inclusive education programme in public secondary schools in Rongo Sub-County, Migori County. The study had two fold objectives, namely (i) To analyze the factors hindering the implementation of the inclusion process for all the school-going-age children and, (ii) to examine the copping strategies to challenges facing implementation special needs education curriculum. It was premised on the classical liberal theory of equal opportunities advanced by Sherman and Wood (1982). The study sample comprised of 5 students with special educational needs per school from all the types of school as boarding, day mixed, yielding a total of 170 students, all school principals, three teachers per school and the Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer .Data was collected using questionnaires for students and teachers and interview schedules for school principals and the District Quality Assurance Standards Officer. The main research instruments used were questionnaires, interview guides and observation checklists. The major findings were that, first, physical and critical teaching learning resources were either inadequate or were quite dilapidated. Secondly, there were inadequate specialized teachers to handle the special needs education curriculum. Third, there were several socio- economic and cultural variables that constraints effective teaching and learning in most sampled schools. It was recommended that the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of education should put in place adequate and appropriate physical and human resources to enhance the implementation of SNE not only in the in the study locale but all other areas experiencing similar constraints.[257 words].