Dyslexic learners' experiences with their peers and teachers in special and mainstream primary schools in North-West Province.

Monicca Leseyane,Madoda Cekiso,Peter Mandende,Mary Makgato

doi:10.4102/ajod.v7i0.363

Monicca Leseyane, Madoda Cekiso + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v7i0.363

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Abstract

BackgroundInclusive education requires that the framework within which education is delivered should be broad enough to accommodate equally the needs and circumstances of every learner in the society. This includes learners with disabilities like dyslexia who have been excluded from the formal education system. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored and described the dyslexic learners’ experiences with their peers and teachers in special and public schools in North-West Province of South Africa.MethodsThe study adopted a qualitative methodology and used a phenomenology research design. The sample was purposively selected and comprised nine dyslexic learners. All the learners were in public schools previously and were later moved to a special school after being diagnosed as dyslexic. The participants were aged 9–12 years. The researchers conducted one-on-one interviews with the participants and content-analysed the data.FindingsThe findings revealed that in public schools the dyslexic learners were exposed to ill-treatment by other learners who despised, ridiculed, bullied and undermined them. The findings further revealed that teachers in public schools were not patient with dyslexic learners, did not give them extra attention and that some teachers used negative comments that embarrassed them.ConclusionThe article spells out the barriers experienced by dyslexic learners in public schools and also recommends training of teachers so that they know how to deal with dyslexic learners, thereby eliminating the barriers. The study further recommended awareness campaigns among the student body about dyslexia.

Highlights

South Africa followed international trends in accordance with the social rights discourse and adopted inclusive education
The findings of this study further revealed that the dyslexic learners preferred a special school environment to that of a public school
Despite the fact that Education and White Paper 6 (2011) advocates the inclusion of learners with disability in regular schools, the findings of this study revealed that the existing public school conditions did not consider the needs of learners with disabilities, including dyslexic learners

Summary

Introduction

South Africa followed international trends in accordance with the social rights discourse and adopted inclusive education. The policy document, Education White Paper No 6 (2001), was developed, and it outlined and accepted its responsibility to provide a supportive inclusive education environment for learners with special needs (Sukhraj 2006) In this context, inclusion is broadly understood as the process by which learners who previously might have been taught in a separate special education system because of the barriers to learning they experience would be taught in regular schools (Walton et al 2009). Prinsloo (2001) and Peters (2007) are of the view that despite the introduction of inclusive education policy in South Africa, it is clear that a number of groups remain vulnerable These include children with disability and those children who for a variety of reasons experience barriers to learning. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored and described the dyslexic learners’ experiences with their peers and teachers in special and public schools in North-West Province of South Africa

Results

Discussion

Conclusion