Academic performance of the mentally retarded pupils in ngewa zone, kiambu district, Kenya

Abstract

This study was intended to find out the factors affecting academic performance of learners with mental deficits in regular schools; the study will look into attitude of teachers towards inclusion of learners with mental deficit in regular schools. In review of related information, all secondary sources viewed relevant were consulted and made use of A descriptive design was employed since the entire study was about explaining a scenario. Questionnaires were used in the collection of data and these were presented in frequencies and percentages distribution tables. The findings of the study revealed the following: The study found out that physically challenged children faced a myriad of problems in an inclusive school. Chief among them was the lack of sanitary facilities which catered for the physically challenged children. This in effect was leading to parents keeping their physically challenged children at home instead of exposing them to the problems they were facing at school. Another finding from the study was the confirmation it had provided that teachers in all inclusive schools were finding it difficult to cope with physically challenged children in their classes and this lead to them being biased towards treatment of these children. This was catalyzed by the fact that most teachers in primary schools were not special needs trained teachers. It was recommended that: , There is great need for the Government to train more teachers for special needs education and that the Government and parents association should provide relevant resources to schools to make teaching easy and possible for all learners and that teachers should also use and explore modem teaching techniques such as unit facts teaching among others.