Challenges Faced by Students with Special Educational Needs in Early Childhood Development Centers in Zimbabwe as Perceived by ECD Trainers and Parents

The study sought to determine perceived challenges faced by: (a) students with special needs in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Zimbabwe; (b) teachers of students with special needs in ECD centers in Zimbabwe; and (c) to assess how these perceived challenges could be addressed. A survey design was used to assess these perceived challenges. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews and observations check list. A random sample of 50 ECD teachers (40 female, 10 male) and 20 parents (10 male, 10 female) of children with special needs were used in this study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and themes derived from research questions used in this study. The study found that children with special needs in ECD centers were being taught by untrained teachers; these children were used as surrogate mothers at the centers; and the school curriculum was inappropriate; and the physical environment was poor. Students with special needs are learning under very challenging conditions in these centers. Address for correspondence: Professor Almon Shumba School of Teacher Education, Faculty of Humanities Central University of Technology,Free State Private Bag X20539, Bloemfontein 9300. South Africa E–mail: [email protected], [email protected] INTRODUCTION The present barrier to providing quality programmes for all young children remains at times overwhelming, especially in economic realm (Meyers 2000; Mpofu et al. 2007). Zimbabwe recognizes the importance of early childhood education as part of its national education policy (Meyers 2000). In order to improve the quality of primary and secondary education of children with special needs, policy makers are challenged to look closely at the preparation of those who work with young children before the eligibility age of primary education. The importance of the early years of life, and the related commitment to the education of all the children were identified by the government as a priority (Zvobgo 1990). Research related to quality education and care programmes for young children in Zimbabwe is scarce in Zimbabwe (Mpofu et al. 2007). The training of Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers by teachers’ colleges and universities in Zimbabwe is an important aspect of how quality programmes could be improved in the country. The country’s education and manpower development policies expose the egalitarian values of equal opportunities for all citizens (Mpofu et al. 2007). By law, primary school education is free and compulsory in Zimbabwe (Mushoriwa and Muzembe 2011). However, students are required to pay school fees using the cadetships from the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture (Zimbabwe 2000). The egalitarian values of equal opportunities is also extended to early childhood development programmes as they are required by law to enroll pupils without discriminatory practices. This creates equal opportunities for pupils from different ethnic, cultural and those with special needs admitted in ECD centers of their own choice. During the colonial era, ECD programmes were only accessible to privileged few who were mostly in urban areas (Mpofu et al. 2007). Private 328 JABULANI MPOFU AND ALMON SHUMBA organisations and individuals were largely responsible for running ECD centres (Zobgo 1990). They tended to charge exorbitant fees which effectively prohibited the majority who could not afford them. This meant that children in rural areas and poor communities had no access to ECD centres. Even with the attainment of independence in 1980, there was no immediate government intervention to enhance access to ECD (Zimbabwe 2000). In 1981-1982 the Ministry of Community Development and Women’s affairs initiated a programme for pre-school teacher training and encouraged communities to organize programmes in rural areas (Zvobgo 1990). The government had realised that ECD programmes were necessary in order to promote the holistic development of children to enable them to reach their full potential for formal school and life-long education. Children had to be offered stimulating environments to realize this goal. However, the initiative did not secure a parliamentary vote for funding (Mpofu et al. 2007). Inspite of the lack of available government funding, the importance of the inclusion of children from birth through age six within the national education infrastructure became solidified in 1988 when the government of Zimbabwe directed that the Early Childhood Education and Care unit (ECEC) be transferred from Ministry of Community and Women’s Affairs to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Meyers 2000). This was a major turning point in Early Childhood Education. In 1990, the government accepted that early childhood education to be an integral part of the formal education system and it was declared a basic human right. In view of this development, the following policy objectives were adopted in order to achieve the broad ECEC goals:  to make ECEC a community-based programme in order to enhance the social and cultural development of the child.  to mobilize communities to build and furnish ECEC centres with government assistance.  to institute a registration system for and intensify the registration of ECEC centres (Meyers 2000). Although Zimbabwe has some well prepared early childhood professionals, many more ECD personnel have very little formal education and it is normal/usual for an ECD teacher to be unable to read or write in English (the official language in Zimbabwe) (Meyers 2000). The Ministry of Education, Sport, Art and Culture provides in-service courses for ECD teachers (Zimbabwe 2000). However, these in-service training programmes and pre-service early childhood teacher preparation are limited because there is no desire on the part of administrators to train ECD teachers. This scenario poses a lot of challenges for children with disabilities in ECD learning centers. Recently, universities and colleges have started training ECD teachers but they are only recruiting manageable numbers because of lack of resources (Zimbabwe 2000). For example, the enrolment of ECD teacher trainees in 2005 was fixed in the following colleges: Seke Teachers’College 150; Gwanda ZINTEC 100; Marymount 60; and Mkoba 60 (Zimbabwe 2000). Zimbabwe has a major role to play in any international dialogue about quality of educational programmes for young children with and without disabilities and those who care for and educate them (Meyers 2000). There are great discrepancies in Zimbabwe’s existing early childhood programmes and these include a shortage of well prepared early childhood professionals (Davis et al. 1998). While the movement towards access to education for all children has been fraught with economic and logistical pitfalls, considerable progress has been made in a brief period of time. The historical background on ECD programmes in Zimbabwe contributed in ECD programmes as the education espouses egalitarian values of equal opportunity for all citizens. The Education Act 1987 made students with disabilities more visible in every type of school setting including the early education classroom (Mpofu et al. 2007). The ECD classes increased the numbers of children with special needs. This diverse composition of early childhood classrooms brings many challenges and many opportunities to educators. Without knowledge of effective practices and support of administrators, colleagues, families and the local and global communities, classrooms that are responsive to the diverse needs of children with special needs will be difficult to achieve. If ECD centers are to meet challenges of educating children with diverse needs, teachers should embrace instruction and curricula that engage and encourage all students. Research about including children with disabilities indicates the importance of several interrelated educational strategies as listed by Mclean and Odon (1993): CHALLENGES FACED BY STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 329  heterogeneous student grouping, developmentally appropriate practice,  an inclusive curriculum that emphasizes children’s strengths yet accommodates their