8.2 Similarities and differences in the schools and in the community
8.2.2 Similarities and differences in challenges encountered by the School Management Teams and teachers
177 the parents. On the surface, it would appear as if such parents did not value their learners‟
education. However, when looking deeper into such parental apathy, the lack of understanding about what parents are supposed to be doing could take part of the blame.
Consequently, some learners tended to drop out of school due to the lack of support from home and local community. To alleviate learner drop out that was seen taking place in three schools, Inclusive Education policy was needed to be implemented in schools so that whatever challenges they have, are addressed.
8.2.2 Similarities and differences in challenges encountered by the School Management
178 management teams’ members who do not have high duty load. They are counted as full time teachers in the class.
The above comment captures the mood and views of all the participants has discussed in Chapter Six. Such comments also suggest that the Department of Education needs to pay particular consideration to these issues allocating teaching posts to schools. Otherwise, the challenge of overcrowding will persist and that may result in Inclusive Education policy not being implemented in schools.
School Management Teams and the teachers in three researched schools mentioned that parents of the children with disabilities believed that their children are witch crafted. It was difficult to have witchcraft proven. In the meantime, delays occur while parents are still debating about who bewitched the child and for what purpose. The school cannot seek medical assistance when the parents are still seeking diviners and traditional healers. Without trivialising the importance of traditional healers in African communities, the data from all three research sites indicates that, sometimes, consultations with such healers were not done in a coordinated way. This calls for trust between the two important societal structures, namely, the school and the family. Some parents even decided to take their children away from school and that increased the number of learner drop-outs and also learners who repeat classes in schools. Some learners were made to stay at home while some were sent to other schools because parents had difficulties accepting that they have challenges in their learning.
The response of parents delayed the assistance to be given to learners with learning challenges.
Another challenge raised in three researched schools was that of resources. In all three researched schools, physically disabled learners were found struggling to access the whole school due to the school yard set-up which did not enable wheelchair bound learners to gain easy access to the classrooms. The condition of classrooms was not suitable for Inclusive Education policy. Floors were damaged with broken windows. All three researched schools had non-inclusive classroom compliant. The schools that mentioned to have classrooms had them but all were found not inclusive education compliant. Resources were further mentioned as a challenge where there were no enough human resources. The shortage of human resource especially teaching staff resulted in overcrowding in classrooms which made it difficult to have the policy implemented. Teacher reported failure to move around the classrooms to
179 assists struggling learners. To have Inclusive Education policy implemented, preparations must be done and this included among other things physical; human and material resources.
Three researched schools study indicated that all teachers were trained for teaching and they met the requirement of the Department of Education in terms of their professional qualifications. It was mentioned that while teachers were qualified for teaching profession but they did not have expertise in the field of Inclusive Education policy. This says that they cannot implement Inclusive Education policy without understanding it. Teacher attitude in the study was found having an influence on the way in which they taught and catered for the needs of all the learners. Oswald and Swart (2011) argue the current education demands teachers to challenge their existing schemas about practices in the education of learners with disabilities. The study mentioned teachers who were complaining of overcrowded classrooms which resulted in them not caring for learners who were struggling to learn. They could not even try to implement strategies suggested in their teaching. One teacher said:
I do not have enough time to attend to all these learners. They are so many that I do what I can without considering those who are facing challenges in their learning (Ms Ant, the teacher from Impala Primary School).
This says that teachers had attitude towards learners with learning barriers in such a way that even if they were provided with strategies to deal with them, teachers were not prepared to do that. This was also mentioned by Ms Hadebe the teacher from Lwandle Primary School. She said that many learners in her class were making her work very hard in such a way that she neglected learners with barriers to learning to cover work prepared for the day as prescribed by the Department of Education. Teachers could not implement Inclusive Education policy when there was curriculum team who wanted to get work completed on time. Teachers had to rush to finish the syllabus without considering learners with challenges.
I have district staff on curriculum section who wants to find work completed on time.
To see to it that I meet that requirement, I have to rush and have ATPs completed.
Then struggling learners are left behind (Ms Molly the teacher from Lwandle Primary School).
180 The attitude teachers demonstrated was against the policy which stated that all learners have a right to learn and that they needed to be supported. The unsupportive teachers made the implementation of Inclusive Education policy to fail in the class. The HODs also complained of teachers who were unsupportive to learners with learning barriers. They had support programmes planned but teachers do not use them. These programmes were neatly filed in teachers‟ file without having them used to extend learning opportunity for learners. More details on this issue can be found in Section6.2.2 of Chapter Six. The school environment can encourage or stifle learning (Shield, 1991). Shield (1991) further argues that effective schools co-ordinate cross curricular activities to provide a connected meaningful curriculum.
This requires collaboration among teachers led by effective leader to organise and maintain the effort.
Poverty was mentioned a challenge in three researched schools. Parents left their children to work in far places and some relied on grants from the government to support their families.
Meyer (1997) found that the income provided in the family increase parental involvement in school achievement. When the parent is around, the learner feels secured and has someone to report to whenever there is a need. There is that security. Shields (1991) mention that the achievement of a learner is affected by the values and beliefs of the family and community.
Some families and communities particularly in poverty stricken areas, do not value formal education.
8.2.3 Similarities and differences with the strategies used by School Management