Nakitende Rita Christine (Sr.)

Training Teachers in Inclusion and Special Needs Education in Uganda: a Case Study of Two Primary Teachers' Colleges Nakitende Rita Christine (Sr.)

Uganda like many other developing countries faces the challenge of training teachers to manage inclusive education. Uganda's problems emanate from: lack of trained tutors in the field of Special Needs Education; rigidity of the curriculum; unclear policies; negative attitudes about persons with disabilities; and mostly, inadequate finances for the administration and procurement of resources relevant to inclusive education. Some of the strategies offered include among others; training pre-service teachers in the use of a variety of teaching methods; recruitment of students and staff with special needs in all Ugandan Primary Teacher Colleges; involvement of different stakeholders in the training of teachers; engaging pre-service teachers in intensive school-based practical activities; and utilizing co-curricular activities with the aim of training pre-service teachers to appreciate children's varied special learning needs and talents and develop in them a sense of self-esteem. The book recommends a need to retrain teacher educators at different levels in Special Needs Education as an initial step in having a sustainable inclusive education system in Uganda.