ABSTRACT

One of government policies in Cameroon is to promote inclusive education and this has provided students with learning difficulties the opportunity to participate in regular education. However, participation in regular education may be more difficult for students with disabilities because they may experience limitations in cognitive, communicative, and physical functioning or barriers in their physical or social environment. There is varying evidence about the effectiveness of including students with special educational needs in regular education. The research intends to find out whether students with special needs profit from inclusive education in terms of academic achievements, psychosocial development, development of friendships with typically developing peers and general participation in school. It is not yet apparent which factors actually have a positive influence on the successful inclusion of students with special educational needs and how inclusive education can be implemented properly. Additionally, whether inclusive education is seen as a success may also depend on the perception of different stakeholders involved. This study intends to identify strategies and tools which are associated with successful participation of students with a disability in mainstream education in the view of different stakeholders.

In the opinion of the stakeholders there are many strategies which can enable participation for students with special educational needs in regular education. Especially occupational therapists assessed the use of strategies generally as more important than the use of tools. In the opinion of the other scholars, it is very important that teachers adapt their learning instructions and modify their teaching practice in general in order to achieve participation of students with special educational needs in regular education. Further, a good cooperation between stakeholders is seen as essential. However, before implementing a specific strategy or tool in a class the individual circumstances always have to be considered. Also, not every strategy or tool matches the needs of each student. The abilities and needs of the individual learner should be addressed by a matching strategy or tool.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Including learners with special needs in regular education has increasingly been a focus policy of many countries in the recent years. Especially the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) actively promoted inclusive education Mitchell, 2010. The implementation of inclusive education in Cameroon is seen in activities and practice of Socio-Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD). The government of Cameroon does this by allocating the ministries of education with substantial budget every year. This explains why policies are often developed, revised and reviewed to ensure the achievement of inclusive education in Cameroon.

Despite the enormity of literature and implementation policy developed so far the world over; Cameroon seems to have been exempted from this wind of change. Though efforts such as the 20/B1/1464/MINEF/MINEDUC/CAB/law making basic education free and compulsory for all Cameroonians have been made, there is no pause to think about learners with disabilities. It isworth noting that efforts towards educating these learners in Cameroon have been made solely by non- governmental organisations. Such education has been in purely specialised schools (schools for the deaf and schools for the blind are found in many regions in the country). The Cameroon Baptist Convention and others, owners of a number of such schools became pioneers in advocating for the implementation of inclusive education in Cameroon.An examination of inclusive Educationmodels both in the western world and in Africa leaves the conclusion that Cameroon can draw from some of the underpinning principles in these areas yet would develop its own model based on work already being done by the SEEPD program in order to suit the social context

An increasing number of parents with learners with a disability nowadays opt for regular education because they hope that their child will have academic advantages and will be able to build up relationships with typically developing peers Koster, Pijl, Nakken and van Houten, 2010.However, participation in regular education may be more difficult for students with disabilities because they may experience limitations in cognitive, communicative, and physical functioning or barriers in their physical or social environment Law, et al., 2006. They tend to participate less often in activities compared to students without a disability Bult, Verschuren, Jongmans, LindemanandKetelaar, 2011 and they feel often socially isolated and have less friends Koster, Pijl, Nakken and van Houten, 2010. Therefore, students with disabilities and special educational needs, need more support in enabling participation.

Further, there is varying evidence about the effectiveness of including students with special educational needs in regular education. The research intends to find out whether students with special needs profit from inclusive education in terms of academic achievements, psychosocial development, development of friendships with typically developing peers and general participation in school.Mitchell in 2010 in a report concludes that studies on the effectiveness of inclusive education either show positive effects or no differences for inclusion. For example, Peetsma, Vergeer, Roeleveld andKarsten (2001) report that students with mild cognitive impairment in regular education made more progress in academic performance compared to students in special education. Further, several studies found that the proportion of disabled students in a classroom does not lower the academic performance of non-disabled peers (Mitchell, 2010).

Despite the effort of the Cameroon government to make education free and compulsory, there is still strong challenges hindered inclusive education in Cameroon.  The international bureau of education in 2008 reported that only 10 percent of students with disability do go to school in Cameroon and most of those who go to school, do so in specialised schools that far away from home. The reason this is because many schools in Cameroon lacked of equipment and assistive technological devices to enables learners in inclusive education such inappropriate classroom setting, talking devices, screen readers, walking cane, Braille for visually impaired learners. Crutches, wheelchair among others for physical impaired learners. Hearing aids, sound field system, cochlear implant, alerting devices among others for learners with hearing impairment.

Background of the study.

The move towards Inclusive Education practice is grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) in which access to education for all became a fundamental and inalienable human right. The United Nations has taken upon itself to promote such human rights and specifically regarding education, UNESCO (one of its sectors responsible for the promotion of education, science and culture) has been engaged for the past three to four decades in the fight against educational exclusion. Also, Article 23, 28 and 29 of the same convention focusing on personswithDisability stipulates that “a child with physical or mental disability should enjoy decent life and should have access to education. In order to achieve this, primary education should be made compulsory and free to allMbibeh 2013.

In the 1990s, UNESCO held a number of conferences around the world with insightful outcomes geared towards the provision of education for all students without exception. Such conferences include; the Education for All (EFA) (1990) and the Salamanca Conference (1994).It is however disheartening that despite these international conventions to which Cameroon is signatory, there are no structures in place for the practical implementation of these conventions ratified. Is it that there are no national policies to further explain the international conventions?Mbibeh 2013

The concept of Inclusion is a worldwide discussion in the 21st Century. International bodies, governments, organizations have come to realised the importance of the education of each and every child irrespective of their needs and disabilities. Some of these bodies did not initially made available opportunities for an inclusive Education. It was not long in 1994 when the Salamanca Statement on Inclusive Education called for the education of each and every child irrespective of the disability, to be included in school and consideration was made as regards their individual need (UNESCO 1949)

The education of students with Special Needs is therefore a worldwide phenomenon which many international bodies, governments and organisations to realised its importance thereby striving for the need for inclusion. Laws, legislations and policies have been put forward to encourage the education of these students 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 these policies are the teachers whose role is very vital for the education of students 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. However, participation in regular education may be more difficult for students with disabilities because they may experience limitations in cognitive, communicative, and physical functioning or barriers in their physical or social environment Law, et al., 2006. They tend to participate less often in activities compared to students without a disability Bult, Verschuren, Jongmans, Lindeman andKetelaar, 2011 and they feel often socially isolated and have less friends Koster, Pijl, Nakken and van Houten, 2010. Therefore, students with disabilities and special educational needs need more support in enabling participation.

Further, there is varying evidence about the effectiveness of including students with special educational needs in regular education. The research intends to find out whether students with special needs profit from inclusive education in terms of academic achievements, psychosocial development, development of friendships with typically developing peers and general participation in school. Mitchell in 2010 in a report concludes that studies on the effectiveness of inclusive education either show positive effects or no differences for inclusion. For example, Peetsma, Vergeer, Roeleveld and Karsten (2001) report that students with mild cognitive impairment in regular education made more progress in academic performance compared to students in special education. Further, several studies found that the proportion of disabled students in a classroom does not lower the academic performance of non-disabled peers (Mitchell, 2010).

However, there can be a great variability in academic performance and psychosocial development of students in both, regular and special schools (Karsten, Peetsma, Roeleveld andVergeer, 2001). All school types can apparently have students with special educational needs who perform well in school or who make only little progress. Research has also shown that including students with special educational needs in regular education does not automatically lead to more friendships with typically developing peers (Koster, Pijl, Nakken and van Houten, 2010).

Some of these findings suggest that the success of inclusive education may depend on various determinants. Additionally, whether inclusive education is seen as a success may also depend on the perception of different stakeholders involved. Teachers may have a different opinion on success factors than parents. In the view of parents it may be more important that their child can develop friendships with typically developing peers whereas teachers may find academic success especially important.

It is not yet apparent which factors actually have a positive influence on the successful inclusion of students with special educational needs and how inclusive education can be implemented properly (Lindsay, 2007).

In Cameroon, the government is fully aware that one of the peculiarities of the human being is the ability to transmit knowledge from one generation to the other and this is why several laws have been put in place by the government to ensure compulsory, free and inclusive education at all levels. This explains why a lot of policy is often developed, revised and reviewed to ensure the achievement of this goal. It is believing the practice is anchors on the notion that “every child should be an equally valued member of the school culture”