Determinants of Graduation Readiness for Learners with Intellectual Disability in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate graduation readiness and employment of graduates with intellectual disability from special schools of Nakuru County, Kenya.  The researcher adopted the Piaget’s theory that deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how human beings acquire, construct, and use it. The study was conducted at Nakuru Hills and Pangani special schools for the learners with intellectual disability in Nakuru County. The target population was teachers and parents of learners with intellectual disability in public schools. This consisted of a total of two hundred and twenty eight respondents where there were 2 Head teachers, 30 teachers, and 196 parents.  The sample consisted of thirty two (2 head teachers, 10 teachers and 20 parents) for the study. The researcher conducted a purposive sampling of schools and head teachers and simple random sampling of the teachers and parents for equal chances of inclusion in the sample. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics by percentages. The main findings were that there was gradual imparting of skills for learners with intellectual disability though they were promoted to the next level having not fully mastered the content of the previous level due to inadequate teaching and learning resources. The employers do not understand and appreciate the graduates with intellectual disability thus rarely employing them. The study recommends that the government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology pay attention to graduation needs of learners with intellectual disability to enable them transit from school to work with ease. The major conclusion is that the learners with intellectual disability are inadequately prepared for graduation. The study recommends another study be done to investigate government’s involvement in facilitating graduation readiness of the learners with special needs and disability in the special schools .

Key words: Adolescent, Adult, Curriculum, Education, Intellectual disability, Mental retardation, Learner with intellectual disability, Special school, Transition, Vocational skills