INCLUSION THROUGH THE VOICES OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS: A CAPABILITIES PERSPECTIVE

Motlalepula Alphonci Khumalo, Maqenehelo Letseka-Manka

Abstract


The government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Education and Training, introduced the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy (2018). The purpose of the policy is to provide quality education to learners, including those with diverse needs at all levels. This implies that schools, through the principals, are vested with the responsibility to implement the policy to ensure that all learners, irrespective of their status, receive a quality education. The study explored the principals’ perceptions of the implementation of the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy (2018) through the lens of the capabilities perspective. The participants of the study were comprised of five purposively selected principals from the Nazareth cluster in the Maseru district. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were adopted to collect data. Data was organised and analysed through the themes that were derived from the collected data. The findings of the study reflect that principals have not received any comprehensive training on what they are expected to do to implement the policy. It was further revealed that schools do not have proper infrastructural facilities that would cater for disabled students. Driven by the findings of the study, the concerned ministry is urged to engage in the dissemination of information and provide adequate support for schools to effectively implement the policy.

 

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Keywords


diverse needs, education, inclusive education, capabilities perspective, mainstream education

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejoe.v10i2.5946

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