Education Stakeholders’ Attitudes on the Implementation of Inclusive education in Tanzania: Case study of Tanga City Council

This study aimed to investigate the attitude of education stakeholders on the implementation of inclusive education in Tanzania, specifically in Tanga City Council. The study was guided by three research questions which enabled the researcher to formulate the research tools. The questions were; How do education stakeholders perceive the implementation of inclusive education? What is the status of the learning environment which support the implementation of inclusive education? What challenges do teachers face in the implementation of inclusive education? Qualitative–method research approach was employed to obtain data from the sample of 52 study participants who included 20 Primary School Pupils, 10 Primary School Teachers, 5 Headteachers, 5 Ward Education Coordinators, 10 Parents, 1 District Social Worker Officer, 1 District Education Officer and 1 Regional Education Officer. Questionnaires, interviews, and observation were used to collect data. The study findings revealed that stakeholders studied have positive attitude towards implementation of inclusive education. The study indicated that inclusive education plays a great role in developing confidence among all children learning in the inclusive setting regardless of their varried needs. The study revealed that, inclusive education enhance social relationship among children with varied educational needs, inclusive education is faced with lack of special in-service training for teachers, inadequate learning and teaching facilities, the negative perception among some community members including parents and overcrowded classrooms which affect its implementation. The study recommends that ministries responsible for education should ensure that primary school teachers are aware of the concept of inclusive education for its effective implementation.