Possible Solutions to Challenges of Including Learners with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Classrooms

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND As a major strategy towards the achievement of basic education for all, Lesotho introduced free and compulsory primary education, whereby many children were sent to school. The mountain kingdom of Lesotho implemented the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Policy in the year 2000 (McConkey&Mariga, 2011:18). The policy‘s main objectives are: [t]o make basic education accessible to all learners; to make education equitable in order to eliminate inequalities; to guarantee that every Mosotho child completes the primary education and ensure that education is affordable to Basotho. (McConkey&Mariga, 2011:18). By implementing compulsory education, even learners with special educational needs were seen in high numbers in schools. This has brought a challenge to learners with special educational needs to learn in the same classrooms with other learners without special educational needs. This paper aims to explore the possible solutions to challenges of including learners with special educational needs in Lesotho mainstream classrooms and The paper is guided by the question: what are the possible solutions to the challenges of including learners with special educational needs in Lesotho mainstream classrooms?