Teachers, Pedagogic Inspectors drilled for Effective Inclusionary Practices
About 60 teachers and some leaders drawn from Lycee Classique and Lycee Bilingue in Bafoussam have undergone a 3-day workshop on Inclusive Education under the theme, “Including all Learners in Teaching and Learning Practices”. The workshop was organized by the Education for All Project of the Empowerment and Disability Inclusive Development Project of the CBC Health Services from September 1-3, 2021.
Opening the workshop, the West Regional Delegate of Secondary Education, Dr. Ngabnya Francois stressed on the importance of educating all children including those with disabilities. He called on all participants to use the information to enlighten all other teachers, parents and all stakeholders in their respective schools and other schools in the West Region of Cameroon on inclusive practices.
The training, which was the last training of personnel in these two pilot institutions for Inclusive Teaching Practices in Bafoussam, focused on Understanding Inclusive Education, Disability Models, International and National Instruments Supporting Inclusive Education, Benefits of Inclusive Education, identifying students with disabilities using the WGSSQs (Short Set of Questions on Disability), Teaching students with Vision, Hearing, Speech, and Orthopedic Impairments,
Classroom Implications, How to teach students with Hearing/Speech, Vision and Orthopedic Impairments, Implications for Teaching and Evaluation. The training also handled the Expanded Curriculum, Braille, Dynamics and Classroom Implications, Sign Language: Dynamics and Classroom Implications, Universal design for Learning (UDL): Key Principles, Lesson Planning and Preparation, The Expanded Core Curriculum: Focus on Orientation and Mobility, Collaboration for Effective Inclusionary practices: The roles of Teachers and Resource Teachers.
This training, according to the Regional Delegate of Secondary Education, is very timely as it comes on the eve of school resumption. He rejoiced that empowered teachers upon return to school will be well equipped to take care of the educational needs of children with all forms of disabilities. The West Regional boss for Secondary Education further advised the teachers to always ensure that their lessons are tailored to include all learners in their respective institutions. He also harped on the importance for the Government of Cameroon to always reserve opportunities in public entrance examinations for children with disabilities who have braved it through and succeeded in their examinations.
Key facilitators at the workshop were the CBC Health Services Inclusive Education Adviser, Mrs. Fobuzie Bridget, a Resource Centre Trainer at GBHS Kumbo, Mr. Chiambah Daniel, and the Education for all Coordinator Mr. Che Manaseh.