7.2 Presentation of data
7.2.2 Provision of adequate teacher training and recruitment
149 very helpful to learners who are struggling to learn because they learn through play which they enjoy (Ms Judith, Principal of Impala Primary School).
Teachers as participants in the study were also concerned about the situation they found the learners in. It was for that reason that Ms Hadebe from Lwandle Primary School made a comment that some learners were physically disabled and did not have crutches or wheelchairs. They were carried by their parents when coming to school and some dropped by cars at the school gate. The situation was discussed with the local hospital. Wheelchairs and crutches were provided to school. This is what she said:
The school is assisted by the NGOs and the hospital nearby to have wheelchairs provided for learners with physical disability. Some learners are provided with crutches (Ms Molly, teacher from Lwandle Primary School).
The provision of resources in schools cannot be underestimated as it assists to have policy implemented. While schools expect the Department of Education to improve schools in order to meet the demand for the current education which is inclusive, but with the little they afford, they can make implementation of the policy work. Donohoue and Bornman (2014) support this when mentioning the need to have schools and public places renovated for accessibility.
150 status so that more teachers can be attracted to the posts. Teachers who are already in the system need to be trained. One of the participants had this to say in this regard:
The school advertised posts to get suitable candidates. We sometimes do not get suitable candidates through interviews, then it calls for us as a school to workshop teachers that we have. I conduct in-service workshops and allow opportunity for them to attend other workshops outside the school. Continuous training and workshops attended assist teachers with information in the implementation of Inclusive Education policy (Ms Judith, Principal of Impala Primary School).
Qualified teachers who have Inclusive Education policy as a subject in their training are the source of information to other teachers who have been at school for a while but are not qualified for Inclusive Education. These teachers are used by the school to capacitate other teachers in workshops organised at school.
Newly qualified teachers who are trained in Inclusive Education policy help the school deal with the challenge of implementing Inclusive Education policy. These teachers capacitate teachers who were at school long time ago but were not trained for Inclusive Education policy. I as an HOD conduct in-service workshops to capacitate my phase teachers (Ms Amazon, HOD from Lilly Rose Primary School).
The provision of assistant teachers, psychologist and therapists was seen as a major challenge in schools. These people needed to work hand in hand with schools for the success of Inclusive Education policy implementation. The post provisioning norm needed to be revised in schools to accommodate posts for such people. Ms Ant, teacher from Impala Primary School had this to say:
If the post provisioning norm can be reviewed by the Department, it can make difference in the implementation of the policy because the lesser the number of learners in the each class, the better the implementation of the policy. I as a teacher
151 will be able to move from one learner to another and give full support. To have assistant teachers can also make a difference. Assistant teachers help where I as a teacher encounter a problem with regards to spending enough time to one learner who might be slow in her /his learning.
The comment made by Ms Ant, the teacher from Impala Primary School concurred with those of Mr Manzi, the HOD from Lwandle Primary School. He highlighted the importance and the need to have school nurses, psychologists and others in schools to have Inclusive Education successfully implemented. Because of their skills and knowledge, these peoples can make a difference in schools. He mentioned the following:
Knowledge and skills that these people have, make it easy for us as teachers to refer learners when we encounter problems in learning due to hearing and other challenges in learning. We know that teachers are not trained for some cases like dealing with learners with psychological challenge but to have people like social workers and school nurses can make difference in our schools (Mr Manzi, HOD from Lwandle Primary School).
The availability of assistant teachers and other staff such as school nurses and assistant teachers was also a matter of concern to other schools. For instance, Ms Elephant, HOD from Impala Primary School emphasised the need to have assistant teachers in their school. She mentioned that they had two assistant teachers that were sent by the Department of Education. To have assistant teachers in their school had a remarkable impact on their work;
it has made things little easier for them. Although they were still not happy in terms of huge learner enrolment and the number of learners with disabilities, but at least they are assisted.
This is what she had to say:
We have two assistant teachers at school. To have these people in our school make the difference at school because they are trained for challenges that we encounter as
152 schools when we as teachers we are not trained. They have enough time to spend with one learner when I as a teacher had to rush to cover the annual teaching plan. By so doing some learners are left not attended. Some learners have social problems which needs social workers.
Human resource was found to be a challenge in schools whereas, in most schools they did not have assistant teachers even the few that they had, complained about the enrolment that put more pressure on available human resource at school. Participating schools suggested the strategy to have the Department of Education revising post allocation norm and have teaching staff added in schools.