The integration of learners with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream primary school curriculum: an examination of teachers and teaching challenges in Mombasa County, Kenya

The study was conducted to investigate the integration of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) learners in mainstream primary schools curriculum in Mombasa County in Kenya with focus on the examination of teachers practice and teaching challenges. The study has reviewed Kenya’s milestones in realising the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All goals with regard to the integration of learners with EBD in mainstream curriculum and the educational provision for children with EBD in Kenya. A case study design involving a mainstream school was adopted. Data was collected using interviews, observations and document analysis, which was then systematically coded before proceeding to case analysis for interpretation and to draw conclusions. The study findings revealed that despite the efforts made by the Government of Kenya to achieve the EFA goals by 2015 and to improve the quality of education for children with Special needs, there was evidence that children with EBD remained marginalised, with most receiving no education at all. This was largely attributed to an unwillingness by mainstream school teachers to accommodate children with EBD; an exam-oriented curriculum which did not accommodate learners with special education needs; a lack of alternative education for children with EBD who ordinarily do not cope well in mainstream curriculum; and lack of clear policy guidelines on behaviour management and educational provisions for children with SNE in general