Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy

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Browsing Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy by browse.metadata.advisor "Lyner-Cleophas, Marcia"

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    Reasons for including/excluding learners with permanent mobility impairments in mainstream high schools in East London
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Roux, Madelein; Visagie, Surona; Lyner-Cleophas, Marcia; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Centre for Rehabilitation Studies .
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Internationally, ensuring that all persons, in particular the vulnerable and marginalised, have access to their human rights is advocated now more than ever. Access to education is one of these rights. For persons with disabilities, which includes learners with permanent mobility impairments (PMIs), realising the right of access to education can be achieved through developing an inclusive education system. This study set out to understand what mainstream high schools in East London consider as challenges in enrolling and accommodating learners with PMIs, and how decisions are based to include or exclude these learners. A cross-sectional, descriptive study, using a mixed methods design and which was exploratory in nature was used to address the study aim and objectives. The method of inquiry was achieved through survey research. The study setting was East London, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study population comprised 21 mainstream high schools in the city, as represented through a member of the educational staff. Only 12 schools (57%) actually participated in the study. These schools were either public or independent, English-, Afrikaans-, isiXhosa- or bilingual-medium, single gender or coeducational schools, with or without learners with PMIs in the school in urban or peri-urban East London. No sampling was done. Data was collected via e-mail through a self-administered questionnaire. It was found that four learners with PMIs were enrolled in the participating schools. The majority of participating schools did not receive applications from learners with PMIs. The greatest barrier to inclusion was related to infrastructure challenges. I had the impression that the participants’ understanding of ‘inclusion’ and ‘mainstreaming’ was confused, and it appeared that the main idea was to mainstream. Recommendations made for practice include completing access audits of mainstream high schools, developing human resources, developing consulting services, monitoring the implementation of the Education White Paper 6, and making global changes in line with inclusion of persons with mobility impairments. It is hoped that this study might serve as a pilot study for a provincial study in the Eastern Cape. Such a study should determine the prevalence of learners of high school age with PMIs,and the percentage of these learners in mainstream high schools. Further, it could determine perspectives regarding inclusion of learners with mobility impairments in mainstream high schools from all involved stakeholders. A study could also be conducted to determine whether or not, and why, learners with PMIs apply for enrolment in mainstream high schools.