Situational Analysis on the Integration of Disability Issues in Technical Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) Institutions Based in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

The integration of disability issues in education and training programmes has recently been a focus of attention for governments, organizations and institutions in the world. The aim of the study was to establish the extent to which disability issues have been integrated in TEVET institutions in Lusaka province in Zambia.  Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. The researchers visited 23 sites in Lusaka province and collected data using questionnaires, interview guides and focus group discussion schedules from 250 participants.  Participants were principals, heads of departments, lecturers and instructors; managers and employers; disabled and abled students drawn from the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) institutions within the province. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were applied. Findings reveal that the majority of the participants were in favour of integrating disability issues into the vocational and entrepreneurship training programmes in TEVET institutions. More abled students were enrolled in TEVET institutions than the disabled. Participants expressed ignorance on the existence of the TEVET National policy on the integration of disability issues in TEVET institutions. The training environment and programmes seemed to be suitable for students with mild than those with severe disabilities. Based on the findings, the study recommends that Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Authority (TEVETA) in conjunction with other stakeholders, facilitate a national situational analysis. This analysis should focus on the integration of disability issues in TEVET institutions in order to get a national picture of the extent to which disability issues have been integrated in institutions. This should apply in both rural and urban provinces of Zambia for generating more detailed and useful information for national planning on integration of disability issues in training programmes.