Inclusive Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia
Opportunities and Challenges
Keywords:
Ethiopia, Early Childhood Care and EducationAbstract
The main purpose of this study was to explore an inclusive early childhood education in Ethiopia with respect to O-class. A case study design was employed to achieve the study's goals. Parents, O-class teachers, school administrators, special needs experts, and early childhood care and education specialists took part in the study purposively and comprehensively selected. Interview, focus group discussion, and observation were used to collect data and were analyzed thematically. Results: The O-class was the new practice in the education system of the country to be taken as opportunity. Lack of teachers with the necessary training, funding, resources and facilities, parent’s awareness and participation, parent-teacher networking, and up to the standard early childhood care and education programs were reported as challenges. Conclusion: The practice of an in inclusive O-class mainly for children with disabilities has to be celebrated that the children were all in all denied the right to education in these schools in recent years back, it is being challenged by several factors though. Recommendations: The government should employ O-class teachers who have received the appropriate training and allot a sufficient budget to meet the needs of children with and without disabilities in these schools.
