Practice and Challenges of Inclusive Education Management in Jimma Zone Sigimo Woreda Primary Schools

Abstract

The main purpose of study was the practice and challenges of inclusive education management in Jimma Zone sigimo woreda primary schools. The research design used was Concurrent Mixed Method Design. To attain the objectives of the study, 7 school principals, 14 vice principals, 1 supervisor were selected through census and5 PTA members and 2 woreda education bureau experts were selected through purposive sampling. In addition, 138 teachers were selected trough proportional random sampling filled the questionnaires. Principals, PTA members, supervisor and Woreda Education Experts were interviewed and document review had been used. As a result, the data obtained from different sources were analyzed using descriptive analysis for questionnaires and narrative analysis for data obtained through interviews. The study revealed the prepared the school plan of selected primary schools were not participatory; Most of the stake holders did not participate in the preparation of the schools’ plan. This was negatively contributing the practice and management of inclusive education. The study also revealed that principals cannot be blamed at all for the partial knowledge of their roles in the practice and managing inclusive education which is attributed to inadequate training and complement by interviewed analysis. The study also revealed there are many obstacles that were still to be overcome. For instance, the issue of resource constraints, negative attitudes to disability and lack of support services, rigid curriculum, teacher training and large class sizes were major impediments to the realization of effective inclusive education management. In addition, management of inclusive education is compromised by lack of resources, lack of trained principals and vice principals in school leadership, lack of skilled teachers in braille and sign language. Recommendations were introduction of internal workshops the schools, provision of resources and building enough classrooms to reduce the learner-teacher ratio. There is need for schools to benchmark their practices against established best practices. School principals and their staff could collectively share their challenges and come up with possible solutions to the challenges facing the implementation and management of inclusive education