Teachers' Perceptions of Students with Special Education Needs in Cameroon Secondary Schools.

This study examined teachers‘ perceptions of including students with special education needs in Cameroon secondary schools. Teachers (N = 130) from five secondary government, denominational or lay private schools in Buea subdivision of Cameroon, Africa, completed a 26-item survey. The survey was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA. The results show teachers‘ perceptions of students with special education needs were favorable; however specific areas of concern were noted that included insufficient resources for special education, lack of training to work with students with special education needs, additional stress and anxiety when teaching students with special education needs, and preventing the learning of other students. The discussion focuses on future direction for research and creation of awareness of special education needs of students in Cameroon secondary school. The education of students with special education needs has been a concern to the international community since the 1994 United Nations Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education (UNESCO,1994). World nations committed to provide access for students with special needs to be educated with their peers. As a member of the United Nations, Cameroon has passed laws in relation to the education of students with disabilities. The education of individuals with special education needs was introduced in Cameroon in 1975 with the creation of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA), which was responsible for the well-being of individuals with disabilities (Yuh & Shey, 2008). Cameroon Law No. 83/13, Article 3, of July 1983, provided for the needs and protection of individuals with disabilities with three major provisions: integration of children in ordinary schools, admission in special classes, and admission into specialized institutions (Protection of Disabled Persons, 2003). Understanding teacher perceptions towards students with disabilities continues to be one way to assist with making progress in educating students with disabilities. A Review of the Present Situation in Special Needs Education in Cameroon suggested that children with severe language, learning or behavior problems were excluded from the public education system. Categories of special educational needs were not included in the legislation (Hegarty, 1995). The review also discussed the lack of administrative structures that deal with specific issues of special education. The government takes an active role in the supervision of private agencies that provide services and education for individuals with special education needs. Historically, individuals with special needs are not educated in the general education setting. In the school setup, students with special education needs are neither categorized nor registered in the school. As of 2003, only 10 institutions (segregated schools for more significant disabilities such as visual impairments, multiple disabilities (mostly physical), deaf/hard of hearing, and behavioral disorders) existed in Cameroon that serve the needs of individuals with disabilities; out of the ten, only two are government institutions (Yuh & Shey, 2008). The lack of specification in the legislation for the education of students with special education needs leads to the general belief that individuals with disabilities are to be educated in a segregated environment. Many students with special education needs do not have access to basic education in Cameroon (Yuh & Shey, 2008). Titanji (2008) argued that Cameroon needs to move from passing the laws on Education for All in an inclusive environment to the actual implementation. This move will involve all stakeholders in education in Cameroon: parents, teachers, principals and head teachers, and policy makers.