special education is described as that kind of education which is directly meant for those

learners who have special learning needs and disabilities. This essay will therefore endeavour
to discus and showcase the several challenges that children with special needs and
disabilities face in Zambian schools.

According to muzata(2017)most teachers in zambia lack training in special education and

this contribute greatly to exclusion of children especially those with disabilities and children
with disabilities are placed in ordinary classes for the lack of trained human capital.

According to kasonde(2001)Lack of or inadequate teaching and learning resources in schools

contribute to hindering schools from practicing effective special education; inadequate
provision of specialised training and resources to equip teachers in handling children with
special educational needs in ordinary classes contributed to many pupils especially those with
disabilities dropping out of school.

Furthermore, unacceptance of children with disabilities in zambia by ordinary teachers is

mostly due to the lack of learning materials both in number and quality are lacking in the
schools. Funding is always an issue in promoting special education; the government has
focused their efforts on the other forms of education, especially formal education to for
social, economic or physical needs of the population in Zambia

According to Kelly(1991) Another challenge faced by children with special needs is the
economic status of the people looking after them. Economic difficulties in the homes of
children with special education needs are also considered to be a challenge for them to
attend classes and be educated. Economic factors such as poverty and unemployment
contributes greatly to exclusion of children, including those with special needs from
accessing special education. Most parents of children with disabilities are unemployed and
poor especially those living in rural areas which makes it difficult for them to find money for
the needs of the of the disabled children hence making it impossible for special education to
develop from the grassroots
According to Hopkins (1991)lack of lamps , elevators and special entrances makes it difficult
for children with disabilities to access classrooms or other facilities.children in wheelchairs
or other mobility issues tend to have troubles navigating stairs, narrow hallways or poorly
designed restroom facilities.

Furthermore,There are still many learners with special education needs who live in remote
areas where it is difficult to reach them or ask them to go to the school due to lack of
adequate transportation system or schools. In some places, the number of students with
special education needs is so small so that it will be very expensive to build a school building
to serve their needs.

According to chilufya(2005)Lack of support, children with disabilities and their families feel
unsupported by the school system or at a disadvantage when tying to access necessary
services and resources and some children with disabilities are placed in separate classrooms
or segregated spaces within the school.this limit their opportunities for interaction with
neurotypical peers and this affect their social and emotional development.

In addition to that, children with disabilities are vulnerable to bullying and stigmatization
and also misunderstood due to their differences so this pose a challenge on them and these
children struggle to fit in or be accepted by their peers and some schools in Zambia find it
difficult to address these incidents and create a safe and inclusive environment for all.These
stigma children with special needs get from schools makes them to develop low self esteem
and some children kill themselves for that.

According to mandyata(2002)children with disabilities in Zambia have communication

barriers that its difficult to communicate with their teachers or fellow students.they need
additional support or communication aids to help them participate fully in class
activities.communication problem makes children with special needs not participate fully.
According to sichone(2017 ) Limited access to specialized services such as speech therapy,
occupational therapy and counseling is limited in many Zambian schools.these services are crucial
for addressing the unique needs of children with disabilities and promoting their overall
development without access to these services children may struggle to reach their full potential and
overcome specific challenges related to their disabilities. for some children with special needs and
disability have difficulties in reading the information that their teacher gives and some children with
special needs fail to identify mathematical numbers when learning subjectsw which involves the use
of senses.

According to musard(2015 )Lack of inclusive curriculum and assessment methods, the curriculum
and assessment methods used in zambian schools often do not cater to the diverse learning needs of
children with disabilities.the lack of inclusive curriculum and assessment practices results in limited
opportunities for children with special needs to demonstrate their knowledge and skills

Furthermore,the assessment methods used in schools are not inclusive, focusing primarily on
traditional writen examinations that do not consider the abilities and strengths of children with
special needs and disabilities.this further hinders their academic progress and overall educational
experience.

Another challenge children with special needs and disability face is the lack of awereness.this lack of
awareness hits children with special needs from multiple direction.many times parents are unaware
of the laws giving equal rights to education to children with disability mainly it's due to the lack of
necessary information and knowledge which brings about ignorance.this challenge seen in those
children are those especially who live in remote areas.the lack of awareness and understanding
about different disabilities perpetuates stereotypes and prejudices, hindering the integration of
children with special needs into mainstream classrooms.

According to Tanya(2007 ) the inadequate legal frame work in Zambia contributes to limited access
to quality education for children with special needs.the lack of specific legislation means are not
legally obligate to provide appropriate accomodations and support for these children.consequently
many children with disability are denied admission to mainstream schools or are placed in
segregated setting that do not promote inclusive learning environment.

Additionally,the lack of legal contributes to the negative attitudes and misconceptions surrounding
disability in society.this further hampers the integration of children with special needs into
mainstream schools and society as a whole hindering their social and emotional development.

According to miles(2009) inequality in the access of social services and participation in social
activities are arguably some of the greatest challenges that the children with disability and special
needs do face in schools.children with special needs have been excluded based on their lack of
finances to pay school fees and other requirements such as books,and uniforms,high drop out rates
especially in the systems that emphasize on meritocracy levels and on the basis of disabilities.some
schools in Zambia give more opportunities to children with perfect physical abilities rather than
children with special needs and this makes them to feel less important and people of no positive
contributions towards the stipulated school programs.

Another challenges faced by children with special needs and disability in Zambian schools is the
absence of individualized education plan.individual education plans are crucial in training
educational strategies and acommodations to meet the specific needs of each
student.however due to limited resources and a lack of awareness many schools fail to
develop and implement individualized education plans resulting in a one size fits all
approach that does not adequately address the unique requirements of these children.

Inadequate policy implementation and monitoring while Zambia has made efforts to promote to
promote inclusive education through policies and legislation the implementation and monitoring of
these initiatives remain inadequate.the lack of effective policy implementation results in inconsistent
support and services for children with special needs and disabilities ,additionally the absence of
proper monitoring mechanism makes it challenging identity and address the gaps in the education
system, further exacerbating the challenges faced by these children.

In conclusion, addressing these challenges requires a multi faceted approach including improving
infrastructure, providing teacher training and support, promoting inclusive attitudes, increasing
access to specialized services, and developing inclusive curriculum and assessment
methods.additionally, collaboration between government, schools, parents and community
organizations is essential to ensure the inclusion and equal educational opportunities for children
with special needs and disabilities in zambian schools.

REFERENCES
 Chilufya j.(2005). Parents and Teachers attitudes towards inclusive Education in Selected

primary schools of Kalulushi District of Zambia.unpublished masters dissertation.university

of zambia.

Kasonde ,N.(2001). Moving towards Inclusive Schooling.BESSIP.lusaka ministry of education.zambia

educational publishing house.

Mandyata,J.(2002). Teachers View on Inclusive Practices.A case of primary schools in kasama

District, Zambia.university of Zambia.

Mustard,M.(2015). Challenges Faced by Children with Disabities in Zambian schools.international

journal of Humanities and social science Research.

Muzata,K.(2017). Curriculum lmplementation for Learners with special Education need.The case of
selected Inclusive and special schools in Zambia . unpublished PhD thesis. University of Zambia.

Sichone,O.(2017). Teachers Inclusive Practices in Zambia.The case of children with physical

disability.international journal of Education and Research.