LEARNING DISABILITIES IN KENYA

I am simply appalled to see my government sitting on its hands while a whole generation of promising youngsters grinds to waste in pursuit of an education.

Kenya is a country that has adopted an inclusive system of schooling for its citizens across all levels of school. The gifted, talented and underachieving learners are grouped and taught together by the same teachers using the same style.

As inclusion has become more common, teachers in developed countries have sought ways to meet the diversity of their students’ needs. One popular arrangement in inclusive classrooms is co-teaching, where a general educator and a special educator work together to address the needs of all students.

Key research findings show that between 8-11 percent of youngsters in any population have one learning disability or the other (Key findings, 2003). This would make us wonder what’s spinning around Kenyan schools. With a total student population of say 9million children, its shocking that around one million children are learning under extremely difficult conditions! Most children exhibit a spectrum of symptoms of learning disabilities that are rocket science for ordinary teachers to deal with.

These include having trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors and/or being overly active. Symptoms also include daydreaming a lot, not seeming to be listening or being easily distracted from schoolwork or play, forgetting things, talking too much, acting and speaking without thinking, not being able to play quietly, having trouble taking turns, interrupting others and squirming or fidgeting.

Learning in mixed ability (inclusive) classrooms can be a challenging experience, even with the best Learning support services. For a long time, children with disabilities were educated in separate classes or in separate schools. People got used to the idea that special education meant separate education. Inclusive education happens when children with and without disabilities participate and learn together in the same classes.

In Kenya, it’s like watching a horror movie! All students (gifted, Talented and Low Achievers) are taught under exact same conditions! They are also graded on the same academic scale! The country has no enforceable acts concerning identification procedures, care or support for students growing with learning disabilities such as dyscalculia, dyslexia and others.

In a press release (MOE, 2011), the minister of education, Sam Ongeri, noted the persistent decline in mathematics. He had this to say: “During the release of 2009 KCSE results, I noted with concern the persistent drop in candidates’ performance in Mathematics and Sciences, in spite of the many interventions we had instituted such as CEMASTEA, INSETs, provision of laboratories and equipment and funding from CDF. This decline in performance is worrying, given the fact that the Kenya Vision 2030 is anchored on the sound performance in Mathematics and Science subjects”.

What does this mean? Simple! To the Kenya child with a learning disability, the message is simple-YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!

Kenya has no enforceable acts concerning identification procedures, care or support for students growing with learning disabilities such as dyscalculia, dyslexia and others. Earlier identification of children ‘at risk’ of dyscalculia would avoid the situation in which they have to fail before specialized support is made available. The situation is grave if the senior staff at TSC (Teachers Service Commission) is “not aware of prevalence of dyscalculia in Kenyan schools” as observed by Njeru (2012). Most conventional schools in Kenya do not have established intervention programmes or special education learning support strategies which may help learners with this condition (Njeru, 2012).

This shows many primary schools going children have never had their difficulties identified and addressed. It is also apparent that Kenyan teachers aren’t equipped with suitable skills to assess, support and teach children with Learning disabilities.

References

Njeru,S.N. (2012). Influence of learning support strategies on academic performance of learned with dyscalculia: A case of selected British National Curriculum

based preparatory schools in the Nairobi county, Kenya.

M.O.E Press release (2011) Release of the year 2010 KCSE Examination results