Challenges that teachers face when teaching children with cerebral palsy at University teaching Hospital,Cheshire home and Dagama School for the disabled

Abstract

Teachers in special education face a lot of challenges when teaching children with cerebral palsy. Education and training programmes for children with cerebral palsy have recently been a focus of attention for government, organizations, schools and institutions in Zambia. It has been observed that the existing education and training facilities seem to promote a wide range of discrimination against persons with disabilities especially those with cerebral palsy.The study analyses three schools for the disabled. The purpose of the study was to determine the challenges that teachers face when teaching children with cerebral palsy and whether children with cerebral palsy could be taught in the mainstream or in special units. Thirty teachers and twenty pupils with children with cerebral palsy were involved in the study.The study was intended to identify the challenges which teachers faced when teaching children with cerebral palsy and to determine whether these children should be taught in the mainstream or in special education units, and recommend appropriate interventions and strategies which teachers could use when teaching children with cerebral palsy. Results from the analysis indicate that some children with cerebral palsy could manage to lead near-normal lives but others need constant care. The teachers of children with cerebral palsy expressed the view that a child with cerebral palsy had difficulty with posture and movement which was because of problems in the area of the brain, which control movement. That could either be the result of brain damage or a section that had not developed properly.The study revealed that teachers faced a lot of challenges because there were many different types of cerebral palsy. In fact no two children with cerebral palsy were precisely alike. Some were lightly affected that they had little more than a slight weakness or limp, while others could have difficulties crawling, walking, sitting,talking, feeding or using hands. The most challenging case was that teachers were not adequately trained and the government did not do anything to motivate the teachers for them to continue working hard. There was no Special Education allowance. However these considered to be main findings;(i) Some children with cerebral palsy could manage to lead near-normal lives, but others needed constant care,(ii) Teachers expressed the view that a child with cerebral palsy had difficulty with posture and movement because of problems in the area of the brain, which controls movement. That could either be the result of brain damage or section that had not been developed properly,(iii) Teachers faced a lot of challenges due to many types of cerebral palsy. No two children with cerebral palsy were alike. They had different degrees of difficulties,(iv) Teachers were not adequately trained and the government did not do anything to motivate the teachers for them to continue working hard. There was no special education allowance,(v) Children with cerebral palsy would learn in the mainstream using certain measures.