The Education of Children with Special Needs in Cameroon : The Role of Teachers and parent towards Inclusive Education

Abstract

The education of children with Special Needs is a world wide phenomenon which many international bodies, governments and organisations have come to realise its importance thereby striving for the need for inclusion. Laws, legislations and policies have been put forward to encourage the education of these children in regular schools. In most cases these laws are made without taking into consideration the training capacities of the teachers, suitable physical school environment in terms of infrastructures for accessibility, the large classroom sizes in relation to the student/teacher ratio and most importantly instructional materials and resources. The core implementers of this policy are the teachers whose role is very vital for the education of children in regular school settings. Parents on the other hand as one of the stakeholders of education have a great role to play in their children’s schooling. They act as partners to the teachers and their role cannot be minimized even though schools have traditionally kept them at arm’s length. What is commonly seen in most schools is that parents are been instructed with a view to the physical and moral welfare of their children without listening to what the parents have to contribute. The purpose of this study was to investigate and explore the role of Teachers and Parents towards the education of children with disabilities in Regular Secondary Schools in the Cameroonian setting. The study was conducted in two schools in the Buea District in Cameroon. The main informants were four teachers and two parents. A case study design orientated to qualitative research approach using several research methods was used to collect empirical data. The methods include interviews as the main research method, and supportive methods such as document consultation, field notes and informal talks as additional sources. The results obtained show that teachers’ views of the understanding of the concept of inclusive education vary. Some of the teachers were aware of the theoretical understanding and meaning while others could not identify with the concept appellation. Also the study shows that generally teachers in regular schools turn to be very slow when teaching in class so as to give room for those students with disabilities to meet up with the lessons. The teachers stated that punctuality was one of the greatest challenges children with disability face. The teachers themselves lacked the training in special education and they also expressed the challenges of insufficient funding, resources, materials and infrastructures which could accommodate students with disabilities in regular schools. Moreover, the study shows that teachers who were interviewed have a positive attitude towards inclusive education because they have the human heart to feel for those who have disabilities. The study also indicated that parents were against the education of children with disabilities in special schools. This was because of the stereotype stigma attributed to those centres by the society. Also parents are aware of the positive gains children have from learning and playing in the same environment, thus their greatest ambition is to send their children to regular school where they could share in peer support and instil in them the spirit of motivation. The information gotten from the study also highlight the need for financial, moral and material support to schools, children with disabilities, their parents and a review of the educational system. The result also show that there is a lot to be done by the government of Cameroon to improve on the education of children with disabilities in regular secondary schools such as the need for the training for more teachers in special education and the adaptation of the curriculum to suit the individual needs of children with disabilities. The teachers also have to change their mentality in favour of inclusion and to see into it that the needs of the children are taken care of. Parents on the other hand have to support the teachers by acting as partners to teachers so that the education of their children will be successful in regular school settings.