International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XI, November 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Dr. Nzoka Stephen Musila
Department of Early Childhood and Special Needs Education, Kenyatta University, Kenya.
Abstract: Inclusion refers to the practice and policy of providing equal opportunities and resources for individuals with special needs. One of such opportunities is education. If education is necessary for “normal” children, it would be much more necessary for those children with disabilities. Early childhood extends from birth to six years. This period consists of the nursery (2-4 years) and Kindergarten or pre-school age (5-6 years). This is a crucial, formative, and developmental human stage, in which social inclusivity begins at home and must continue under caretakers and teachers in any Early Childhood Education Centre, be it public or private. The study purposed to investigate the Inclusion of Learners with Disabilities in Early Years’ Education in Kenya. Findings revealed that an instructional strategy which was an IEP was the most effective for learners with disabilities in Early Years Education while the assessment method that was mostly used for grading these learners was rubrics as required by CBC.
I. INTRODUCTION
Inclusion refers to the practice and policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded and marginalized. These people would include those with disabilities such as physical. Mental, emotional, and visual, to name but a few. Further, opportunities and resources are first and foremost found at home, school, and community for the child. Here they provide basic needs to all children in the family equally. One of such opportunities is education. If education is necessary for “normal” children, it would be much more necessary for those children with disabilities. Early childhood extends from two to six years (Piaget, 2020; Nzoka, 2021). This period consists of the nursery (2-4 years) and Kindergarten or pre-school age (5-6 years). This is a crucial, formative, and developmental human stage in which social inclusivity begins at home and must continue under caretakers and teachers in any early childhood education center, be it public or private (MoE, 2013). All children have a right to learn and to play together. They have a right to be valued and not discriminated against. By being excluded or sent away due to their disabilities such as learning difficulty. There are no legitimate reasons to separate children within the duration of schooling as they belong together and need not be protected from one another. All children should work in inclusive communities, with different races, religions, aspirations, and disabilities. All children should learn and grow in an environment in which they will work and live. Education should be a right for all but not a privilege. Finally, creative