The success of the inclusive school depends considerably on early identification,
assessment and stimulation of the very young child with special educational
needs.
Early childhood care and education programmes for children aged up to six years
ought to be developed and/or reoriented to promote physical, intellectual and
social development and school readiness. Programmes at this level should
recognise the principle of inclusion and be developed in a comprehensive way by
combining pre-school activities and early childhood health care.
Article 53, Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action
Early childhood education is an investment that can offer outstanding returns. It
can ensure that all children receive the education that is their right. One cannot
talk of access to quality education for all if children with special needs in early
childhood and pre-primary education are not given the same opportunities.
Equally, the right to access to early childhood education becomes elusive if
government spends very little of its resources on early childhood education. At
present many children in Namibia are denied access to early childhood education
due to poverty, disability, diseases or hindrances. Within formal education,
children with special needs do poorly, fail classes or drop out of school at a very
early age. As a result, they become further marginalised in society. Their lack of
education could also make them a burden on society.
The study was guided by the questions: a) what are the implications of the
implementation of inclusive education for early childhood education both
internationally as well as in Namibia?; b) what is the current situation in Namibia
regarding the functioning of early childhood education centres with specific
reference to the perceptions and preferences of early childhood educators in the
overall process of early education children with special needs, and c) what
guidelines can be offered to the ministries responsible for education and for the
welfare of children for the development of an inclusive early childhood education
in Namibia?
First a review of literature on early childhood education and inclusive education
approaches was undertaken. Next a quantitative survey research method was
used to obtain answers to the research questions. Of the 650 respondents to
whom it was sent, 493 early childhood educators from all the 3 regions in
Namibia completed the questionnaire.
The study was based on an ecosystemic approach to inclusive education in
which the entire community and all the stakeholders are involved in contributing
to quality early childhood education at a school where diversity is valued and
every effort is made to maximise the quality of life of all children.
The research findings indicate that early childhood educators in Namibia have
not received the necessary training for their role as ECD educators nor do they
possess the necessary qualifications or skills for inclusive education approaches.
The findings also indicate that the majority of early childhood educators are not
aware of the national ECD policy nor do they have much knowledge of what an
inclusive curriculum entails. It is clear that Inclusive education requires a
paradigm shift and the transformation of the education sector in order to ensure
that all children have equal access to quality education.
This study recommends that there be closer collaboration between the ministry
responsible for education as well as that dealing with child welfare in the
development of an inclusive education policy covering all levels of the education
sector from early childhood to tertiary and higher education. It is further
recommended that curriculum reform be effected to ensure that the curriculum
becomes inclusive, reflecting the needs of all children and acknowledging
individual differences as opportunities to learn rather than barriers to learning and
participation.