An analysis of factors affecting the provision of special education needs in early childhood education in Rwanda. A case of selected schools in Kamonyi district.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine an analysis of factors influencing the provision of special education services in early childhood education in Rwanda. A case study of selected schools in Kamonyi District. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to determine the factors affecting the provision of special needs education in Early childhood education settings in Kamonyi District, to find out the effect of teaching and learning materials in the provisionquality ECE to children with special educational needs in Kamonyi District, and to assess the effect of the use of approved curricula in the provision to SEN children in ECE settings . The study population consisted of 102 individuals, including preprimary teachers primary teachers ,four head teachers and 2 district education staffs. With regard to the impact of school infrastructure on the quality of teaching and learning, the survey found that respondents agreed that schools with adequate infrastructure perform well both academically and socially, with a majority of 51% agreeing. In addition, the survey also showed that a large number of respondents strongly agreed with the statement about the impact of learning materials. The lack of appropriate learning materials affects the quality of learning for pupils with special needs, with the majority of respondents strongly agreeing (92%) and agreeing (8%). Finally, the survey also highlighted the impact of curriculum implementation according to teachers. The majority of respondents strongly agreed (74%) and agreed (13%) with this statement, while 5% disagreed and 5% strongly agreed with this statement respectively. Thus, the majority of respondents (62%) agreed with the emphasis on teaching methods for SEN pupils. Based on the results, it was concluded that the lack of teachers trained in special education to deal with SEN pupils has had a negative impact on the achievement of SEN pupils. The study recommended that the government provide special training to all teachers in all pre-school classes to deal with pupils with SEN.