CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Special education is the education for children with special educational needs. The provision of this special needs education can be through regular schools in what is known as inclusive education or in special classes in regular schools also known as mainstreaming.

Mainstreaming is the process of teaching learners with special needs in a circular classroom setting for educational purposes. Inclusive education on the other hand is a process of enabling all children to learn and participate effectively within the school system. It does not segregate children who have different abilities or needs.  In Cameroon, the movement towards inclusion or inclusive education continues on the assumption that teachers are willing to admit students within the regular classroom setting and be responsible for meeting their needs.

Children with Special Educational needs face a lot of challenges in several aspects of life ranging from educational, social, psychological and socio-economical. Such challenges affect them personally and also bring about a significant limitation in their daily interactions and the full exhibition of their potentials as other “normal” children.

One of the agencies of education that can bring about effective changes and methods of overcoming such challenges faced by learners with special needs is the school library media center. The library is a platform of information resources that provides, information resources in all forms (print, electronic and graph) to all types of learners (i.e. slow learners, fast learners and those with different kinds of disability ranging from mild, severe to complex). Hence, the concept of inclusive education and the need for education for all prompts the investigation of the role of the school library in the education of learners with special needs.

Definition of Terms

Library

A library is a platform of information resources: that collects, organizes and disseminates information to different users. It contains information resources for users in print, electronic and graphic forms. On the other hand, a school library is a platform of pedagogic information. Hence, it acts as a pedagogic tool in the education for all (i.e. visual learners, audios learners and audio visual learners).

Education

Education is the process of acquiring lifelong skills, talents and knowledge that are of positive values to the individual or the society as a whole. It could either be formal, non formal or informal (Tambo, 2003). An example of formal education is schooling.

Special Need Learners

They involve a group of pupil with disabilities that cannot learn under normal conditions except the difficulties the face in the learning process is overcome. They include; visual learners, audio learners, audio – visual learner and Kinestatic learners.

Special Education

Special education is the education of children with special educational needs. That is children who cannot learn under normal classroom settings like their normal peers. Hence, they require the services of special educators, special assistive technological tools in delivering classroom instructions and or the modification of their curriculum (Tchombe, 2007). These disabilities could either be congenital (from birth) or acquired (developed later in life). They also range from mild, moderate, severe and complex.

However, like any other person, they all have equal right to education like every other person as per the Salamanca Declaration Law, 2008 concerning the education for all (EFA).Unless the various barriers encountered by children with special educational needs are overcome, they cannot learn effectively like others. Hence, the school library has been found to be an effective tool in overcoming and promoting the education of such learners for the following reasons: the school library;

–           Have information resources in more than one form for all types of users (print, electronic and graphic).

–           Acts as an inclusive pedagogic tool (i.e. it is able to meet the needs of all types of learners such as, visual learners who are those who learn best by seeing, audio learners who are those who learn best by hearing and audio- Visual learners who involve those who learn best by watching and listening).

–           Finally, the library contains tools, resources and service providers that can help to educate, locate and manage the usage of information resources. Some of which include; resource rooms for watching of educational movies, assistive information and communication devices (ICTs) and finally library officials such as librarians and other library staff who purchase, organize, coordinate and manage the circulation of each information resources to different types of users according to their individual needs.

It is important to note that everybody needs information and information on all aspects of life. That is health, social, political, religious, education, and socio-economic aspects, daily living and self-help information skills.

Statement of the Problem

Ignorance about the usefulness of school libraries and the services put at the disposal of learners, school administrators and teachers is a call for concern. This study is aimed at identifying the various tools and different kinds of information resources found in the school library that could better be used in enhancing the education of children/persons with special need.

Objectives of the Study

The following objectives have been formulated for the study. It is hoped that, they will be effectively achieved. They include:

1. To find out the challenges that children with special needs face in the teaching and learning process.
2. To identify which library tools, resources or services could be useful in meeting their specific and individual needs.
3. How teachers can better adapt using these resources in delivering daily instructions to these learners.

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