Special and Inclusive Education in Southern Africa

Chitiyo, Argnue; Dzenga, Chaidamoyo

doi:10.33043/josep.1.1.55-66

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In line with literature (Chitiyo and Dzenga, 2021; Haitembu, 2014; Mokaleng and Möwes, 2020), this study revealed that lack of understanding of what inclusion entails is hindering the IE policy's responsiveness to gender non‐conforming learners.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 86%

“…The findings of this study further concur with literature ( i.e ., Chitiyo and Dzenga, 2021; Haitembu, 2014; Joubert, Van Wyk, and Rothmann, 2011; Mokaleng and Möwes, 2020; UNESCO, 2016) that lack of training for teachers and lack of information are some of the factors that are preventing fully inclusion in schools. The success of any educational policy and programme depends on its implementation at schools by the teachers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, inclusion education in Botswana focuses on children with visual impairment and other physical disabilities (Mangope and Mukhopadhyay, 2015; Molosiwa and Mpofu, 2017). Namibian educators are not an exception in misinterpretation of inclusive education as research (see Chitiyo and Dzenga, 2021; Haitembu, 2014; Mokaleng and Möwes, 2020) discovered that uncertainty of what inclusion is and negative attitudes among teachers led to teachers’ inability to include all learners in schools.…”

Section: The State Of Inclusive Education In Namibiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, some stakeholders regard the teaching of topics such as diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions within the Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme as taboo and unacceptable (Wangamati, 2020). Other researchers ( i.e ., Chitiyo and Dzenga, 2021; Haitembu and Maarman, 2022; UNESCO, 2016) further found cultural and moral beliefs and lack of information to be a challenge in inclusion and the teaching of sexual education topics in schools.…”

Section: The Namibian Inclusive Education Policy and The Application ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Namibian inclusive education policy's response to gender nonconforming learners

Haitembu

Maarman

2022

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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The provision of education to children is a human right that most countries including Namibia are trying to achieve. Hence, through educational inclusion, educators strive for removal of barriers within education systems for all children to learn. The purpose of this study was to explore how the Namibian inclusive education (IE) policy responds to gender non‐conforming learners. Drawing upon the Social Identity Perspective (SIP) and interviews with four education officers and employing a transformative case study, this study revealed that the Namibian IE policy does not clearly pronounce itself on inclusion of gender non‐conforming learners. The study further discovered culture, religious beliefs, lack of training and lack of information on gender non‐conformity as factors preventing teachers to interpret the IE policy statement in relation to gender non‐conformity. The study recommends for the IE policy to have a clear statement and guidelines on handling of gender non‐conformity issues in schools. The study further recommends for the programmes for in‐service teacher training to integrate the content on sexuality and gender diversity. Moreover, through in‐service teacher training, education officers should provide correct information on gender non‐conformity to curb the discrimination towards gender non‐conforming learners within the school communities.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The State Of Inclusive Education In Namibiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Namibian Inclusive Education Policy and The Application ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Namibian inclusive education policy's response to gender nonconforming learners

Haitembu

Maarman

2022

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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“…Thus, instead of epistemological access, the goal of special and inclusive education is reduced to a therapeutic arena for remedying disabilities. Such stipulations may affect how regular teachers implement inclusivity in mainstream education (Chitiyo & Dzenga, 2021).…”

Section: Inclusive Education: Policy Practice and Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regular schools as a straitjacket for zone of proximal development

De Souza

2023

pie

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Malawi has a twin-track system of primary and secondary education. In this system, some learners with special educational needs are enrolled in regular schools while others are still in special schools. Research has shown that regular schools receive learners with special educational needs into the system but with the possibility of enabling and constraining their developmental and learning abilities. Put metaphorically, when learners with special educational needs are placed in regular schools, they are dressed in straitjackets that may enable or constrain their development and learning. A straitjacket refers to the freedom and limitations that regular schools give learners with special educational needs. When prisoners and people with mental health conditions are dressed in straitjackets, the foremost reason is to ensure that they can be easily restrained once they turn violent. This situation can be understood through a theoretical frame of what Lev Vygotsky termed the zone of actual development versus the zone of proximal development which was employed in this study. The study conducted in-depth interviews with ten regular teachers from five regular secondary schools in the South West Education Division in Malawi. The results from the interviews show that inclusive education is failing at the point of implementation due to: (1) a lack of capacity development for regular teachers, (2) limited support for learners with special educational needs, (3) inadequate specialist teachers, and (4) lack of parental and community involvement. These challenges originate from an entrenched view on special education that makes the transition to inclusive education cumbersome. I, therefore, argue that special education should be used as a stepping-stone into inclusivity to expand learning rather than as a discriminating tool against learners with special educational needs. The study proposes a third space schooling model in which special education facilitates inclusivity towards the zone of proximal development. The study concludes that the third space model has the potential to help Malawi and other countries to move towards meaningful, inclusive education.

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Gender and sexual diversity: Inclusion in the Namibian education context

Haitembu

2023

Cogent Education

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Special and Inclusive Education in Southern Africa

Cited by 9 publications

References 18 publications

The Namibian inclusive education policy's response to gender nonconforming learners

The Namibian inclusive education policy's response to gender nonconforming learners

Regular schools as a straitjacket for zone of proximal development

Gender and sexual diversity: Inclusion in the Namibian education context

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