Usability of Community Awareness Strategy to Boost Enrolment of Pupils with Special Needs: A Case of Public Primary Schools Committees in Mbinga Town Council, Tanzania

Abstract

The study examined how school committees at Mbinga Town Council contributed to the enrolment of students with special needs in public primary schools by using a community awareness strategy. The study employed concurrent design under a mixed-methods research approach, and the Social Theory of Disability guided it. The study population comprised 42 public primary schools (PPSs), 42 head teachers (HTs), 1203 students, 546 school committee members (SCMs), 553 teachers (Ts), and 19 Ward Education Officers (WEOs). Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were deployed to sample 12 PPSs, 120 students, 64 Ts, 12 HTs, 55 SCMs, and 2 WEOs, making 253 respondents. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires, while qualitative data were collected through interview guides and focus group discussion guides validated by education research experts. The reliability coefficients of 0.891 and 0.861 for Ts and SCMs questionnaires one at a time were attained following Likert-type items using Cronbach's Alpha. The trustworthiness of qualitative data was ensured through peer debriefing and triangulation methods. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and presented in tabular form, while qualitative data were thematically deduced. The study found that school committees highly engage the community awareness strategy in varying ways to boost pupils with special needs enrolment through positive initiatives and partnerships with support services. This approach includes addressing parents' concerns, fostering inclusivity, and collaborating with educators and government for better resources and support. The study concludes that initiatives like school activities and barazas help students' perceptions be positive and that a comprehensive approach to inclusivity is shown by collaborations with outside support agencies and efforts to make information available to all parents. The study recommends prioritizing communication with parents and increasing government funding to ensure accessibility and foster a genuinely inclusive educational environment.