Training Teachers in Inclusion and Special Needs Education in Uganda

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.