Educating Children With Intellectual Disabilities In Pre-Primary Education, Tanzania

Abstract

This study investigated the issues of educating children with intellectual disability at one Primary School in Lindi Region, Tanzania. The data were collected using in-depth interviews and thematically analyzed. The findings indicated that children with intellectual disability were integrated in primary school. Adaptive skills like how to eat, use toilet, dress, sit on chair and academics were offered. There was minimal parents support. Parents lacked the capacity because of their poverty and ignorance about disability. Teachers, Head Teachers and other education leaders had no capacity of assisting children with intellectual disability. The study concluded with emphasis that children with intellectual disability are human beings therefore, they needed to be facilitated and assisted to make them more self-reliant in schools and community. Their education was problematic and not embraced. A combined effort of different stakeholders was needed and recommended for educating these children and with disability in general.