Special Needs Education (SNE) refers to a range of instructional services that are designed to help a learner with disability (challenge) learn and make progress in a learning environment.
Special education needs on the other hand denotes to learning challenges (difficulties or disabilities) inherent and coherent in a learner and makes it harder for the same learner perform like his /her peers.
A special school is an institution catering for learners with particular educational requirement arising from physical, intellectual or behavioural challenges.
A special school has structured environment that is more accommodating at the individual level with the ability to offer tailored programming and support systems that go beyond the normal. The school must also have teachers who have acquired specialized (technical) training in the area that the school is mandated to offer its learners.
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Special education tutors after normal teacher training, are subjected to a different training that equip them with methodology according to their specialisation. In Kenya, Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) is a government institution charged with offering this type of technical education. Of late, there are a number of universities that have, in conjunction with KISE, offering SNE.
Learners in special schools are majorly instructed on life skill education. This will mainly depend on the severity of the special needs they are faced with. In pre-primary, special education syllabus refer it as foundation, intermediate for grades 1-6, pre vocational for grades 7-9 and vocational for grades 10- 12.
For special schools to achieve its goals, a wide range of technical approaches and services must be put in place. This include Individualized education programme, Small classes, Low teacher to learner ratios, Specially trained teachers, Self-contained classrooms, Resource rooms, Tutoring programs, Learning aids, Academic and Psychological Counseling.
In view of the above exposition, Special schools and units in our education system should be made and categorised as technical and vocational institutions. The Ministry of Education should consider them as such so that they can get adequate resources and attention TVETs receive under Kenya kwanza government.
Instructors of tailoring, mechanic, beauty and therapy, leather work are needed in special schools especially at the vocational and pre vocational levels.
By Joseph Kiptoo
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