CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

1.1 Introduction

This chapter comprises background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives of the study, research questions, and significance of the study, limitations and delimitations of the study, theoretical as well as conceptual framework and operational definition of terms.

1.1       Background Information

According to the United Nations Convention on the rights of children, all minors irrespective of special needs have fundamental rights to quality education and to experience full involvement within the society (Frankel, 2004). Quality education is an essential ingredient for the development of all individuals in any society and is seen as a pathway to arousing political, social awareness as well as upholding the level of man power as Onyara (2013) further demonstrates. The Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report 2005 concur with these sentiments and further state that, quality education can be defined as the education that is meaningful, relevant and responsive to the needs of individuals and the society as a whole. It is also the degree to which education can be said to be of high standards, satisfies basic needs and enriches the lives of the learners and their overall experience of living (UNESCO, 2000). These benefits emanating from quality education, have led to increased number of pupils‟ enrolment in primary and secondary schools world over (World Bank, 1990).However, children with disabilities and many others who experience difficulties in learning continue being

marginalised or excluded from quality education in schools. As the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNICEF) points out in the State of the World‟s Children Report of 2010. Children with disabilities are not only less likely to be in school but also less likely to complete their elementary education and make a successful transition to secondary school. Their exclusion from school or the learning process may be as a result of low or lack of data pertaining to pupils with learning disabilities, (Ndurumo, 2001). Other factors include inadequate preparation of regular teachers working with diverse learners in the classrooms, and in particular failure to equip them with the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to effectively support those with disabilities (Lewis & Bagree, 2013).

Also the curriculum used over the years has been rigid and the method of implementation hardly takes care of the diverse needs of these pupils with learning disabilities in terms of content acquisition, Sugiharto (2008). Therefore a focus on provision of quality education was needed since it is a major component of children‟s development including those with disability. It is also a means of self-empowerment, independence and social integration. During the World Education forum that was held in Dakar in the year 2000, participants committed themselves to improving all aspects of quality education. In Great Britain for example the special education needs and disability act was introduced in 2001, while in Netherlands and in the United States of America (USA) the expertise centers act of 2003 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 were respectively enacted.