Mainstreaming is a philosophy that all children should be taught together, with equal access to a quality education. In reality, this can mean different things: deaf children attend the same schools as hearing children; deaf children interact with hearing children during times of play; deaf children sit in the same classrooms as hearing children, follow the same curriculum, with some support.

When Kenyan schools began implementing "integration," a number of problems arose:

1) Teachers didn't know how to teach them.
2) Other students were not ready to learn with them.
3) The community thought the "special" students would lower the quality of education for others.

The Movement Toward "Inclusion"

Mainstreaming in Kenya since then has moved toward "inclusion." Inclusive education means preparing each school to be able to accommodate all "disabilities." This is done by transforming schools to accommodate children with special needs. This includes giving teachers necessary skills and resources and educating the community at-large.

Some educators argued that deaf schools limit learners' social environments by restricting it to only deaf individuals, creates an artificial society, and fails to match the kind of environment learners will confront when they leave school. Administrators note that this can be a more cost-effective way for teaching deaf children.

Ongoing Problems of "Inclusion" 

A Task Force commissioned by the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology admitted that while mainstreaming does already take place in many Kenyan schools, the following problems exist:

1. The public teachers and stakeholders do not understand the philosophy of inclusive education

2. A shortage of teaching aids, equipment and human resources

3. Lack of relevant policy in special needs education

· Teachers may refuse to provide individual attention
· Teachers may refuse to admit learners in their schools

4. Schools are ranked according to their performance in the national examinations and schools fear learners with special needs will hurt the school's performance.

5. A lack of trained teachers in special needs education

· Sign language interpreters are not currently used in Kenyan primary schools.

6. The curriculum fails to accommodate learners with special needs.

7. The teacher-learner ratio is already very high in schools. Schools are very understaffed. Accommodating one or two special needs students in a very large classroom is difficult for a teacher. Selecting a teacher to specially focus on special needs learners increases the burden for other teachers.

Reference:

"Report of the Task Force on Special Needs Education Appraisal Exercise," Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, November 2003. Chairman: Dr. Edwards Kochung.