Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating the Impact of Stakeholders Commitment on the Academic Performance of Persons with Visual Impairment in some selected rehabilitation centers in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.

To achieve the objective of the study, the specific objectives used were; to investigate the impacts of parents financial commitment on their academic performance, to examine the impacts of teachers commitment on the academic performance, to find out the impacts of administrative commitment on the academic performance and to examine the impacts of visual impaired learners commitment on their academic performance.

The study made used of mixed approach research design; Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from 100 respondents with the used of structured questionnaires, interview guide and focus group discussion. Descriptive and inferential analysis was used. Data was analysis-using SPSS 21 and presented on charts and tables.

The findings show that there is a positive impact between parents and teachers commitments towards their academic performance as indicated by their p values, which are less than 5% level of significant. Parents financial commitment (p =0.386<5%), teachers commitment (p=0.045<5%), while learners commitment (p=0.273>5%) and administrative commitment (p=0.386>5%) has a negative impacts on their academic performance.

it’s worth recommending that the joined collaboration of stakeholders involved in the education of persons with visual impairment has a tremendous positive impact on their overall academic performance.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Historically, efforts to provide educational services and other activities in the community to children who are visual impaired emerged over 200 years ago in France, with formal and informal educational practices in the United States beginning in 1829 after the founding of residential schools such as the New England Asylum for the Blind, now known as Perkins Schools for the Blind (Hatlen, 2000).

Beginning in 1900, public school classes, focusing primarily on academic subjects, became available in Chicago to children who were blind. Additional programs in the public schools of large cities continued to be established around the country, initially enrolling approximately 10 per cent of children who were blind attending school with the main difficult being independent movement. By 1960, approximately 50 per cent of these children attended day schools, the alternative to residential placements (Lowenfeld, 1975).

Conversely, in Africa, the family has by common consent been recognized as the basic social institution for procreation and informal educational development of human. The African family is regarded as the principle and pioneer setting in which personality, values, skills and discipline required for effective functioning in the larger society are formed.

The African family structure is the framework within the family functions as far as educating, socializing, motivation and providing emotional support for its members are concerned (Cohen, 2002). The primary role of the African family is to develop human potential that is by creating new human life and has the major responsibility for developing and shaping a nurturing environment for the family that will provide a climate conducive for commitment, growth and self-realization (Cohen, 2002).

Therefore parents, being the backbones of the family, as well as other family members, they either positively or negatively influence the early developmental relationship, language interest, skills and other human behaviours of the child. In Africa, a child is commonly identified based on the family background regardless of their level of interaction with the social environment, parents continue to influence their children’s personality development but today, due to the transformation of African social institutions especially at the level of the family unit parents have forgotten their role in the lives of their children and this has become a major call for concern.

Parental and family functions are dramatically changing and shifting away from the family to the different institutions as a result of ignorance, poverty and sometimes deliberate wilful destructive actions (Weisner, Bradley & Kilbride, 1997).

According to Michael, Cohen and Turnbull, (2002), schools exist to promote literacy, personal autonomy, economic self-sufficiency, personal fulfilment and citizenship. These schools must prepare all students to be academically and physically capable to gain knowledge and apply what they have learned in order to be productive workers and citizens.

Formal education has become in our world a very important tool for development according to the United Nation Educational and Socio Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 1994). In addressing educational issues, UNESCO insisted on inclusive education as an issue of equal concern to countries of North and South that cannot advance in isolation.

It has to form a part of an overall educational strategy and induced new social and economic policies. It calls for major reformation of ordinary schools, and that each nation should define a model for parental involvement and the roles played by stakeholders in the education of children with disability.

Tchombe, (2008) holds that education is a crucial factor in social and personal development and also an indispensable asset in the attempt to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and justice. Thus, education is one of the principal means available to foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and thereby reducing poverty and exclusion.

Tchombe further reiterates that exclusionary processes with disadvantaged groups continue to experience and requires that appropriate mechanisms be placed to respond to the emerging issues. One of such mechanism is the definition of stakeholder’s role in the education of learners with visual impairment.

This is because they constitute a greater majority of those suffering from rejection and abandonment. This will be effective if stakeholder’s sensitization and education becomes the heartbeat of every community and nation as a whole.

For instance in Africa and Cameroon in particular, there are several adjustments done to accommodate learners with visual impairment especially at the examination board, which is to, and extent trying to practice inclusion. More so, we can also find visually impaired graduates lecturing and heading special inclusive centres.

Conceptually, the effective education of persons with disabilities such as those with visual impairment in particular, requires the efforts of many, such as parent’s involvement, teachers and administrative commitments and other valuable support from well-wishers. A multidisciplinary team where each stakeholder is aware of his function and is committed to it may have great effect on the learner’s outcome (Ikechukwu, 2008).

These persons with visual impairment requires a lot for them to achieve greatly in their education thus it is relevant for each stakeholder in this area to be involved so as to play their part to effect the education of these persons suffering from visual impairment. Before the creation of these canters, missionaries opened learning schools and day care homes that accommodate different categories of disability. In Cameroon, the governments through major stakeholders are making efforts in opening schools pilot schools in all the ten regions of the state, which are aimed at propagating inclusive practices.

Theoretically, Jernigan (1995) states that the blind, deaf, dump, crippled, insane and feeble minded are sometimes known as the defective people who lack some faculties or power. He believed that if such persons could be placed in some special institutions in order to receive proper attention, they will manifest remarkable talents and will do a considerable amount of work; as such, stakeholders have as duty to educate these children so as to give them the impetus to maximize their God given potentials.

In most parts of Cameroon, according to Niba, 2006, particularly in the North West and South West regions, children with visual impairment are neglected in the society. In most cultures pymies, Bantu clans, they are believed to have come from the world of evil spirits and bear curses which render them unable to contribute positively to the development of the community.

All of these were due to ignorance and prejudice (myth). It is worth noting however that, this study was carried out by Niba in the year 2006 in the northwest and southwest region of Cameroon and today the mind set of most people in these regions has gradually changed and as such their attitude towards the visually impaired have changed over time.

In some villages, blindness was considered as an offence against the gods and a curse especially in some villages in the North West region. Consequently, there was no regard for such persons or their families in the community. Such canters consequently become homes for such categories of learners. It is interesting to observe that on a number of occasions members of the same family feel very uncomfortable at the sight of their relatives who are visually impaired.

This attitude in most cases makes us to know that in cases where preference is given to person with visual impairment would never be mentioned. Stakeholders neglect, has led to community disrespect for persons with visual impairment so much so that at the sight of any, they ask the question “what can we do to help you?” they are seen as beggars even when they don’t look like one.

Statistics from Hope for All Foundation for the Blind (HAFB) in Cameroon as at 2018 shows an estimated of 600,000 people who are considered to have refractive errors in their sight which makes them visually impaired. Over the years persons with visual impairment have been neglected as far as formal education is concerned.

Very little or no attention has been given to them as such most of them end up in the streets as beggars. Very few specialized institutions exist to cater for the education and rehabilitation of persons with total blindness. In the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon we have; the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind in Buea, the Cameroon Baptist Integrated School for the Blind at Kumbo and the Saint Joseph’s Children and Adult Home at Mambu Bafut which is a centre for multiple disabilities (with the visually impaired inclusive). These institutions play a significant role in the education and rehabilitation of persons with visual impairment most especially those who are completely blind. Out of the three schools just one belong to the government.

With these, one is tempted to say the government is showing little or no efforts towards the welfare of these persons with visual impairment. The is a law in Cameroon which addresses the needs of persons with disabilities Law No 83/013 of July 1983 relating to the protection of persons with disabilities. The conditions for implementing this law were laid down in decree No 90/1516 of 26th November 1990. These laws lay the foundation for a strong government policy towards the education of persons with visual impairment.

Article one of this law clearly states, “the education of children and young adults with disabilities shall be taken care of in regular and special schools. In case of necessity regular schools enrolling children with disabilities shall be provided with special teachers and didactic materials adapted to the children’s need” (MINAS, 1990).

To ensure the proper digestion of the 1983 law, the minister of National education issued a circular letter No 86/1/658/MINEDUC/CTZ of January 13, 1986 calling on all national education authorities to implement the 1983 law by giving priority easily and facilitating the environment for children with disabilities in public and private schools (Pouagam, 2000).

Though these laws exist in theory, the practical aspect of it is questionable since there is no text of application. It is worth noting that, in the most recent document on education in Cameroon, the 2005 February draft document from the Technical committee for the elaboration of the sector Wide Approach in Education reflecting a common and coherent vision of education in Cameroon nothing is mentioned about the education of person with disabilities (Yuh and Shey 2008). Though there are laws in our country addressing the education of persons with visual impairment, there is however no law or plan of action towards the inclusion of the family in the education of persons with visual impairment or persons with disabilities in general. No multi-disciplinary team actually exists to aid these children in their different area of disabilities.

For most parents in Cameroon, due to ignorance, the presence of a disability in a child is the end of every hope. The high expectations and visions they had for the child upon birth come tumbling down the cliff and running down the drain. The child they had hoped so much for may now be a liability to them and the state at large, this lands them in a feeling of desperation in trying to figure out why their child has become blind. And this feeling of guilt for being parents of a child with visual impairment causes most of them to abandon these children at their different institutions and rehabilitation centers (Niba, 2006).

Statement of the Problem

The concept of inclusive education is a vital tool for an effective national growth and integration. Despite all international and national legal instruments put in place to protect and encourage the education of persons with special needs, many obstacles still exist that obstruct such access. In our community there seems to be more rejection and abandonment of persons with visual impairment at institutions by some stakeholders who are supposed to contribute to their education.

This is the case at the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind, which I observed during the internship period. Most parents pay little attention to the psychological, educational, social and financial needs of these children. They shift their parental role and responsibilities to the institutions while the different institutions also blame the parents, the parents equally blame the government and school authorities. Meaning that, there exists a problem.

I also noticed in one of the PTA meetings I attended that some of this vices stemmed from negative socio-cultural norms, beliefs and traditions inculcated in the minds of many about disabilities. The actual problem surfaces from where stakeholders in the education of persons with visual impairment shifted their responsibilities to the institutions, some parents hardly visit them neither do they interact nor follow them up, motivate or pay their financial obligations Melem (2008).

On a serious note most of these special canters have very few trained staffs and sufficient suitable didactic materials or assistive technology for education of persons with visual impairment. Most of the trainees had very poor performance, very little self-help skills, and insufficient mobility and orientation while others take a longer time to complete their duration of schooling for certifications, a majority of them don’t continue schooling after living the centre.

Being curious about their outlook, most of the visually impaired learners never appeared like the came from a home, educators theme self hardly know what to do and after discussing with the director for more elaboration, I still ponder on how effective is the role of parents, teachers and school administrator in meeting the individual needs of learners. Who then is responsible for the education of learners in such special government and private canters? According to the United Nation Education and socio-Cultural Organization, education in its self is a form of rehabilitation and re-integration hence must not be undermined or compromise.

It is therefore for this reasons the researcher with a curious mind seeks to investigating the role of stakeholders in the education of persons with visual impairment in some selected special schools in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon.

Research Objectives

General Research Objective

The general objective of this study is to investigate the impact of stakeholders on the academic performance of persons with visual impairment in some selected special schools in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.

Special Research Objectives

The specific objectives of this study include;

1. To find out whether parents’ financial commitment impact the academic performance of persons with visual impairment.
2. To examine the impacts of teachers commitment on the academic performance of persons with visual impairment.
3. To access the impacts of administrative commitment on the academic performance of persons with visual impairment.
4. To find out how  the commitment of visually impaired learners impacts their academic performance

Check Out: Education Project Topics with Materials