Department of Disability and Rehabilitation studies

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    Educational provision for refugee children with disabilities: a case for Kyaka II refugee settlement primary schools
    (Kyambogo University [unpublished work], 2018-12) Charles, Mugisa
    This study concerns the educational provision for refugee children with disabilities in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement. It investigated the process of enrolling refugee children with disabilities into schools, how the provision is implemented, the support given to refugee children with disabilities to help them succeed in their primary education and the challenges faced in providing education to refugee children with disabilities. In this study, a case study design and a qualitative approach was applied for collecting and analysing the data. The target population for this study was 332 people, who included; 8 headteachers, 132 teachers, 95 parents of refugee children with disabilities and 97 refugee children with disabilities. The study involved 35 participants (N=35) who included; headteachers, teachers, parents and refugee children with disabilities. A pilot study was carried out in Kyegegwa to test the instruments and some adjustments were made. The purpose of this study was to find out the levels to which education services are provided to refugee children with disabilities in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement Primary Schools. In this study, case study design, requiring the use of qualitative approach was applied for collecting and analysing the data Data was collected using semi structured interviews with open ended questions. Interview guides were developed basing on the research. Findings of this study indicate that out of 10,934 enrolled in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement primary schools, 7620 were refugees and only 97 had disabilities. Findings also reveal that in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement Primary Schools there were only 2 teachers trained in Special Needs Education and materials to use in teaching were inadequate. Findings also indicate that in some schools, children with disabilities are turned away basing on the fact that those schools do not have trained to cater for children with disabilities. The study findings show that many challenges are faced in providing education to refugee children with disabilities. These challenges include; congested classrooms, lack of support from government, language barrier and that some parents do not want their children to be taught Sign Language saying that they have a belief that their children will talk. It was clearly revealed that the enrolment of refugee children with disabilities in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement is very low because; there are no trained teachers to teach them which forces the school authorities to turn away some of the children with specific types of disabilities. However, the ones who are enrolled did not face any difficulty in getting admission; they are admitted like any other learner. Schools are struggling and working hard to ensure that all learners benefit from education but they have limitations in skills, knowledge and materials to do the work perfectly. They use the general knowledge they got from college and the few materials they can afford to get in the school. The study recommended that; the government should consider constructing more classrooms to decongest the few available ones, refresher courses should be conducted in all schools to give some basic skills to the teachers to be able to teach children with disabilities, Parents be sensitized on the benefits of their children being taught Sign Language, and date be collected on the number of children with disabilities found in the settlement and the types of disabilities so that it is easy to plan for them.