MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMMES

Types of special needs programme

1. Ordinary class-it is a setting where learners with special needs learn alongside their peers.

2. ordinary/regular schools with auxiliary support-This is a regular school but has made
arrangements for learners with special needs to get additional support from the rest of the
learners.

3. Special unit in a regular school-these are classes attached with regular school. Learners may
be integrated to the main school once their specific needs are met. The head teacher of the
regular school is also the head of the unit.

4. Special class-This may be special but having different disability area from the mainstream

School learners. For instance a case of intellectually challenged learners in a school for the

Physically impaired.

5. Special schools (day and boarding)-These are designated as special schools which may be day
or boarding. They cater for a specific area of disability eg blind, hearing impaired, physically
impaired among others.

6. Integrated programmes—These programmes allow learners with special needs to learn with
ordinally school learners. These learners may be taught skills like Braille in a resource room and
later integrated within mainstream(regular) classes.

7. Sheltered workshops-These are institutions that train learners with special needs to acquire
trade eg weaving,carpentry,business etc learners are protected and sell wares in a collective form.

8. Rehabilitation centers-these are centers which train learners with special needs some skills
relevant to their future survival. However most special schools have vocational rehabilitation
services. Behavior modification is also given to learners with behavior disorders among others.

Professional services offered in these programmes

1.Instructional services given by special education teachers, regular classroom teachers with
assistance of teacher aides.

2.Related services given by physiotherapists, speech therapists,nurses,social workers among

others

3. Support services given by curriculum developers, consultants, drivers, interpreters, brailists,

housemothers, itinerant services among others.
4. Policy making bodies given by the ministry of education, school boards and courts to
determine compliance with the law.

Challenges faced in these programmes

1. Institutionalised children are excluded from getting appropriate services

2. Children remain in the waiting list for placement and evaluation for too long.

3. Many children are denied related services.

4. Children are unnecessarily segregated in special schools

5. Parents are inadequately informed of their right to participate in assessment and placement of
their children

6. The community is denied the benefit of manning for their children although they will
eventually go back to the same communities after school.

TOPIC NINE

ROLES OR TASKS OF THE HEADTEACHER IN A SPECIAL SCHOOL

Some head teachers have a few teaching responsibilities, but in general the large proportion of
their work is the day-to-day management, organization and administration of the school in order
to create a productive, disciplined learning environment. Specifically, the head teacher’s main
responsibilities involve:

 Formulating overall aims and objectives for the school and policies for their
implementation
 Coordinating assessment of learners with SN (special needs)
 Working with the concerned bodies to deploy staff effectively and recruit new staff
 Meeting with other education professionals, and representing the school at conferences
and other events outside the school in the local community and nationwide
 Motivating, training and disciplining staff
 Collaborating with relevant stakeholders to cater for the diverse needs of learners with
SNE
 Ensuring the motivation of the pupils
 Ensuring an infrastructure is in place in which all members of staff and pupils feel they
can register their opinions on serious matters, and have a route via which they can
communicate problems to senior members of staff
 Counseling learners and parents on their children with SNE.
 Writing appraisal reports(appraisal a means of assessing someone)
 Ensuring Record keeping eg IEPS by the teachers, schemes of work, portfolios, lesson
plans among others.
  Ensuring the good financial management of the school
 Ensures proper implementation of the curriculum
 Ensuring the school is up-to-date with innovations, from teaching practices to new
technologies
 Reporting on the school’s performance to a range of audiences, including governors, the
Local Education Authority, the local community, and others
 Managing accommodation (e.g. classrooms) effectively to meet the needs of the
curriculum and Health & Safety requirements
 Assuming responsibility for other legal matters in the day-to-day running of the school
 Assuming responsibility for pastoral care of pupils where necessary
 Resolving major disciplinary issues with pupils, including working in partnership with
the police and social services.
 Ensuring the accommodations for learners with Special needs are put in place including
special equipment, special diet, modifications of exams among others
 In some schools, head teachers must also establish and maintain links or partnerships
with businesses.
 Demonstrate optimistic personal behavior, positive relationships and attitudes towards
students with profound, severe and complex learning needs, the workforce, and towards
parents, governors and local community.
 Lead by example - with integrity, creativity, resilience, and clarity - drawing on your own
scholarship, expertise and skills, and that of those around you.
 Sustain wide, current knowledge and understanding of education and school systems
locally, nationally and globally, and pursue continuous professional development.
TOPIC TEN

FOUNDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES IN KENYA

Programmes that were put in place by the government to support children with special needs
include:

 Administration
 Inspectorate(QUASO)
 Curriculum development
 Examination
 Educational Assessment and Resource services
 Teacher education
ADMINSTRATION

The administration department was established in 1975.It deals with administrative issues on
special needs education. It has the following functions among others:
Giving grants to programmes catering for learners with special needs

Making appointments of Board of management

Developing special needs education policies

INSPECTORATE

It was started in 1969 and became operational in 1970.It supervises special institutions to ensure
that standards are maintained and improved. This section which is currently the QASO (Quality
assurance and standards) is involved in curriculum development. There are inspectors in the 4
traditional areas VI, IC, PH&HI.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Kenya institute of curriculum development (KICD) has a section of special needs education
which was established in 1976.it develops curriculum teaching learning resources for all learning
institutions except the university. The curriculum to train teachers was formulated in 1986.The
section mainly develops, adopts specialized and specialist curriculum as well as related resource
materials for learners with SNE.

EXAMINATIONS

Evaluation is done informally by the teachers or by KNEC (Kenya national exam

council).KNEC works in close consultation with the QUASO, KICD in matters related to exams.
They normally consider the needs of candidates with special needs. They adapt exams and
ensure the necessary equipment are availed .For instance large print for low vision, Braille,
tactile diagrams among others. Extra time of 30 minutes is usually given. Instructions for the
deaf may be given in sign language.KNEC were established in 1980.

EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND RESOURCE SERVICES

EARS was established in 1984 by the ministry of Education with the support of the Royal
Danish government. The main function of EARS is to carry out educational assessment for
children with special needs in education ranging from age 0-6 years among other functions.

EARS has established centres and subcentres in every district nationwide. These centers are
referred to as EARC (educational assessment and resource centre)

TEACHER EDUCATION

Before 1987, the curriculum was confined to a particular area of disability. It was not until 1987
in KISE (Kenya institute of special education) that a broad based curriculum was put in place.
All trainees cover interdisciplinary components that cut across all disabilities in their first year of
training and specialize in the second year. KISEwas established through legal notice no17 of 14th
February, 1986 with the main function of training teachers and other personnel involved in the
education and rehabilitation of persons with special needs among other functions.KISE trains
teachers for primary schools .Special needs teacher training for secondary education was started
in KU in 1996.We have other universities that are currently offering a bachelors degree in
education (special education) apart from Kenyatta university.

Self test

What other universities offer a bachelor degree in education (special education)?

SEMI- AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES

Semi-autonomous agencies operate at arm's length of the government; they carry out public
tasks such as regulation, service delivery, and policy implementation. Compared to
government bureaucracy, agencies face less hierarchical and political influence on their daily
operations, and they have more managerial freedom.

SAGAs under the Ministry of Education Sub Sector

(i) Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) (ii) (iii) Kenya Education Management Institute
(KEMI) Established under a legal notice no.19 of 2010 cap 211, KEMI (iv).
(ii) Institutions Involved in the Education of Children with Disabilities and Special
Needs in Kenya. (a) Directorate for Special Needs, MOE: Over time, SNE has grown
from a mere section within MOE to a full-fledged directorate, with the mandate of
providing policy advisory services on matters relating to education and training of
learners with disabilities.
(iii) (b) Quality Assurance Department, MOE: The Quality Assurance Department of the
MOE is responsible for maintaining standards according to the education policies in
place. Currently, the Quality Assurance department is responsible for the correct
implementation of the national curriculum and issues of student access to the curriculum
as well as student retention. Because they oversee all students, this department is also
responsible for children with disability accessing the curriculum, and their retention in
school.
(iv) (c) Education Assessment and Resource Centres (EARCs): These Centres were set up in
1984 through the support of DANIDA to undertake identification, assessment and
placement of children with special needs and disabilities.
(v) (d) Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE): This is a Government agency
mandated to train teachers and other stakeholders in special needs education. Its core
functions include conducting teacher training courses at diploma and certificate levels for
teachers involved in the provision of education of children with special needs. KISE
functions as a resource centre for the production, collection and dissemination of
information on special needs education to the general public. The Institute produces and
sells learning materials and assistive devices for use by persons with special needs for
instance white canes (for the visually impaired) ear moulds (for the hearing) at
subsidized prices