CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The term education is derived from one or the other of two Latin words namely: “Educare” and “educere.” The Latin word “educare” is translated as to rear or to train. That is, bringing up children through character training and discipline so that they live up to some standards set by society.

On the other hand “educere” means to lead out or to bring out. By “educere” it means the provision of conditions that will help the child’s nature to unfold or help bring out the best in the child. Education is therefore a process that involves a constant unveiling of reality. Tambo, L.I. (2003).

Special Education is an aspect within the framework of general education that provides appropriate facilities, specialized materials, methods, and teachers with specialized training for teaching those children who have deviated either positively or negatively from the normal way of doing things. This group of people may be classified into three categories, namely: the disabled, the disadvantaged, and the gifted and talented. Ozoji, E.D. (2005).

This chapter discusses the background of the study, the statement of the problem, and the purpose of the study. It presents research questions, hypotheses and discusses the significance of the study as well as delimitations of the study, and defines key operational terms.

Background of the study.

In 1948 the united Nations passed a declaration on human rights one of which was the right to education for all citizens in spite of the challenges imposed by disabilities. To train young Cameroonians with visual impairments in arts and crafts the Ministry of Social Affairs created the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind (RIB) popularly known as Bulu Centre for the blind in Buea. The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) also created the integrated school for the blind in Kumbo and the Catholic mission also created the St. Joseph’s Children and Adults Home at Mambu in Bafut (SAJOCAH). These and many more centers across the country offer both vocational and Braille training to visually impaired persons.

In 1989 the United Nations convention right of the child declared the right to education for children with disabilities (Article 23). The member states of the 1990 Jomtien convention agreed that each and every citizen of the nations represented must be enrolled in school.

In response to the agreements by member states of the UN, Cameroon parliament in 1983 enacted a law on the wellbeing of persons with disabilities. Equally, it was stated in the 1990 text of application that education of persons with disabilities will take place in special and ordinary schools. In 1986 the ministry of National Education in support of the 1983 law, issued a circular letter which stated that punishment will be mated to any headteacher who refuses to enroll a child with disabilities in his/her educational institution.

The conditions for implementing this law were laid down in Decree No. 90/1516 of 26 November 1990. In 1994, the UN issued another decree on the Equalization of opportunities for children with disabilities and one of the areas to practice equal opportunity is in schools. And so in Cameroon today, the education of students with visual impairment and other disabilities is done in regular schools.

In 2005 the African group meeting was held in Yaounde to adopt a common front on Inclusive Education to be taken to the main meeting in Geneva. They talked about African realities which placed a lot of impact on African attitudes towards persons with disabilities especially the visually impaired. Yuh and Shey (2008).

In an attempt to respond to the pathway to inclusive education which is not yet practiced in Cameroon, Cameroon educational institutions have opened their doors to educate some persons living with disabilities including the visually impaired in regular schools; but the attitudes of secondary school students towards learners with visual impairments makes life rather unbearable for them.

Attitude is a feeling or opinion about something or someone or a way of behaving that is caused by this. It could equally be defined as a feeling or opinion which results in a predisposition to behave or respond favorably or unfavorably towards persons, groups, ideas, or objects (Ozoji, D. 2005).

In Cameroon schools, the attitudes of students towards visually impaired learners in regular schools are influenced by certain African superstitious beliefs and range from sympathy, indirect rejection to total neglect. Mba (1978) observed that among the factors contributing to the general apathy and neglect of exceptional persons in emergent African countries is a superstition which regards disability as a curse from the gods.

Omoluabi (1989) also observed that the general attitude of people towards disabled persons is governed by stigmatization. This results from the beliefs which people consider to be the cause or consequence of disabilities. Ozoji (1993) lists the following as some common beliefs about impairments and the disabled.

Impairment occurs when a person breaks taboos, impairment results from the evil   committed by parents, impairment is a sign of a curse on the family, disabled people come from the sea, and disabled people are asexual. A disabled body has a disabled mind. Blindness is associated with gifts. Impairment is contagious.

Disabled people are good native doctors. Eating with a visually impaired person will make you blind. Blind people see the mind of others. These beliefs, and many others, have to a great extent, influenced the attitudes of regular students towards visually impaired learners in Cameroon secondary schools.

Statement of the problem

The attitudes of secondary school students towards students with visual impairments are aspects that can either encourage visually impaired students or discourage them from being enrolled in regular schools. The study, therefore, aims at investigating the attitudes of secondary school students towards students with visual impairments.

Purpose of the study

The general objective of the study is to:

Investigate the attitudes of secondary school students towards students with visual impairments.

Specific objectives of the study

The study is meant:

1. To investigate intolerance by secondary school students towards visually impaired learners.
2. To examine isolationism by secondary school students towards visually impaired learners.
3. To examine students’ labeling of visually impaired students in secondary schools.
4. To investigate the attitudes of denial towards visually impaired students among secondary school students.
5. To investigate the attitude of social rejection towards visually impaired students among secondary school students.