Inclusive Education Resource Centers in Bamenda, NW Cameroon: Contributions to the Implementation of Inclusive Special Education

Abstract: Inclusive education, especially inclusive special education, exists to bridge the educational inequity gaps that exist between persons without disability and those with disabilities of various kinds and to promote respect for the educational rights of persons with disabilities. One of the most reliable means by which inclusive education achieves this is through Inclusive Education Resource Centers (IERCs). Without these IERCs, implementation of inclusive education cannot be effective. The purpose of this study was to examine activities carried out by IERCs in Bamenda, and how these activities influence the implementation of inclusive education. A cross sectional survey including 236 respondents purposely selected from three inclusive schools and three IERCs was used. Questionnaires and interviews were used as data collection instruments. A total of 219 IERC beneficiaries (learners with disabilities and their teachers) responded to the Questionnaires while 7 resource persons (IERC coordinators, sign language teachers, brailists and special education teachers) participated in the Key Informant Interviews. Purposive sampling was equally used to select the inclusive schools and the IERCs. The data collected was analysed using the descriptive analytic technique for the quantitative data and the thematic analytic technique for the qualitative data. Meanwhile, the linear regression analysis was used to test hypotheses against the 0.05% level of significance. From the findings, 78.1% of respondents agreed that IERCs in Bamenda carry out many significant activities that effectively promote inclusive education and that define access to these IERCs. Also only 53.3% of the respondents agreed that IERC resources were sufficient while just 30% of the respondents agreed that the available resources in IERCs had the quality required for effective inclusive education implementation. Activities of IERCs that were identified as promoting the success of inclusive education implementation included: guidance and counselling services; provision of material, technical and human resources to support teaching and learning; capacity building in sign language skills, brailing skills and other inclusive-relevant skills; collaborative teaching between regular teachers and special needs specialists; awareness raising in inclusive education and rights of persons with disabilities, and referrals. In testing the hypotheses, the regression analysis revealed that the activities of IERCs played significant roles in implementing inclusive education. It was thus recommended that more IERCs should be established, should be financially supported, and that these IERCs should be made an integral part of every inclusive school.