How do you provide meaningful 'Classroom Management' training for a group of primary school teachers in Uganda with the aim of involving 'learners with VI' in the classroom? That was a big challenge for Mariska Han and Chantal te Boekhorst, itinerant teachers at Royal Dutch Visio and their Ugandan co-trainers Molly Okomo, special teacher and Jackson Sanya Obale, Education Officer at the SNE department of the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The most important points for achieving a successful training turned out to be 'collaborating with local trainers' and 'observing closely the practice'. The local trainers can clearly indicate where the training should start for a good connection with practice and which content is useful to be covered. Joint preparation on the spot is intensive and very valuable.
The training was given as part of the 'All We See Is Possibility' program (AWSIP). The program aims to promote inclusion and development of blind and visually impaired young people, aged 11 to 30.
There are many differences between the Dutch and Ugandan situation: classes in Uganda are considerably larger (70-100 students in a group is not unusual), teaching is classroom oriented and resources are limited. These may seem insurmountable barriers; fortunately there are also creative and enthusiastic teachers who want to involve their visually impaired and blind students more in their lessons. This became apparent during an observation of a lesson at one of the schools with many students with a visual impairment; the teacher took a real rooster from the only cupboard in the classroom to feel all the parts during a lesson about 'domestic birds'!
The government in Uganda also promotes inclusive education; A manual has been written containing practical tips for teachers to supports students with various disabilities in the classroom. There is also a shift in education in Uganda towards more 'child-oriented education' instead of 'teacher-oriented education', which will hopefully create more room for less classroom education and, for example, working in groups.
Many topics have been discussed, such as recognizing signals from students with VI, experiencing VI themselves with blindfolds and simulation glasses, organizing and adapting lessons that take students with VI into account, adapting materials, making of a lesson plan and work schedule that includes the 'VI learner'. In short, classroom management is related to teaching students with visual impairments in a large, inclusive classroom. Naturally, the next steps for implementation have also been discussed. There is still a lot to be done, but it is small steps that make a start.
The joint ending song 'Dowaka dowaka' was interpreted by a 'participant' as 'Do the work Do the work'. That's a first step.