CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF HARARI REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

he purpose of this study was to investigate and identify the Challenges and Opportunities Related to the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Primary Schools of Harari Regional State. The study was conducted in four primary schools in Harari Regional State. This study used qualitative approach design and qualitative methods and 42 respondents haven been participated in this study. Purposive, simple random and available sampling techniques were used to select four schools of the study and to select key informants for interview, focus group discussion and observation. Primary data for the study were gathered and analyzed from Focus Group Discussion, interview transcripts, were analyzed by qualitative method. The findings from the study revealed that most teachers and woreda officials supported the notion of Inclusive Education Policies and strategy and would like to implement it. Most teachers felt that there needs to be more awareness of the strategies, conventions and the importance of inclusion. The study concluded that encountered during the implementation of inclusive education, Lack of trainings and workshops, Lack of trained SNE experts, uncommitted, absence of budget allocation, materials and devices, physical accessibilities, incentives, lack of good will, the poor economic background of teachers, imbalanced teacher–student and students–textbook ratios, the period load, the insufficient special needs education course offered at higher institutions of learning, the information gap among teachers and the school, students related problems. The study recommended that it is important to provide the trainings, assessment tools, incentives, budget and material allocation, available accessibilities and brings the attitudinal changes in each educational level.