Access to Higher Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho
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Access to Higher Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho By Paseka Andrew Mosia Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education In the subject inclusive education at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA Supervisor: Prof. T.N Phasha JULY 2017 ©University of South Africa 2017 DECLARATION Student Number: 36739103 I declare that the study entitled “Access to Higher Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho” is my own work, and that where other people’s works were used, such sources were acknowledged through complete references. JULY 2017 Paseka Andrew Mosia Date ©University of South Africa 2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I will always be indebted to God Almighty for the gift of life and health and for giving me the opportunity to conduct this study intended to shed light on the life experiences of students with disabilities studying at tertiary level in Lesotho, and to influence positive change in their experiences of learning at this level. My sincere gratitude goes to the following: • The management of one institution of higher learning in Lesotho which allowed me to conduct this study at its premises, and on student with disabilities. • I am indebted to students with disabilities at the institution for being open to share their experiences with me. • I am also thankful to the staff of the institution for sparing their valuable time to participate in the study. • Many thanks to Prof. N.T. Phasha for her gentle guidance through this challenging academic journey. She became the voice of reason as I fumbled through different sections of my thesis; she nurtured my potential and encouraged me to go on when my energy levels were low. • I would like to acknowledge Prof. T.G. Khati, a senior member of staff at the National University of Lesotho, for sparing his time to read through my work for technical and language editing. • I am grateful to my family for graciously permitting me the family resources such as time and money to pursue the study. I spent hours on end away denying them my attention, especially my daughter who was only 3 years when I began this journey. • Lastly, but most importantly, I am thankful to my late parents especially my late father who, not being educated himself, once told me that he wanted me “to go to university”. I was studying at secondary level at the time and never knew anyone who went to university nor did I know what university was. I am saddened that he never lived to know I enrolled at university only 10 months away from his death, and even worked at a university. ©University of South Africa 2017 ACRONYMS CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability CHE Council on Higher Education CSU Computer Services Unit DSA Department of Students Affairs ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan EDF Department of Educational Foundations EFA Education for All FED Faculty of Education FOH Faculty of Humanities HE Higher Education HEIs Higher Education Institutions HEP Higher Education Policy ICT Information and Communication Technology JAWS Job Access with Speech LCE Lesotho College of Education LSL Lesotho Sign Language MEMO Memorandum MOET Ministry of Education and Training NUL National University of Lesotho SED Special Education Department ©University of South Africa 2017 SENA Special Education Needs Assistant SENU Special Education Needs Unit UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation USA United States of America ©University of South Africa 2017 APPENDICES Appendix I Interview schedule for students Appendix II Interview schedule for staff Appendix III Focus group interview schedule [only for students] Appendix IV Research ethics clearance certificate Appendix V Application letter to conduct research in the selected institution Appendix VI Permission to conduct research from the institution Appendix VII Consent form Appendix VIII Copy of brailed information sheet Appendix IX Memorandum from Registrar to Dean, Faculty of Education [9/3/2005] Appendix X Memorandum from Pro-Vice-Chancellor to Dean, Faculty of Education [24/1/2006] Appendix XI Memorandum from Dean to Vice Chancellor [28/9/2007] Appendix XII Memorandum from Dean, Faculty of Education to SENATE Secretary [28/1/2009] Appendix XIII Memorandum from Registrar to Dean, Faculty of Education [2/2/2009] Appendix XIV Memorandum from Dean, Faculty of Education to Bursar [3/12/2014] ©University of South Africa 2017 ABSTRACT Overall, research covering access to education for students with disabilities is accumulating at a very slow rate, Lesotho is no exception. Such studies are important given the national and international commitments to equality and equity in education for all citizens. Access to education is based on four values which are central to inclusive education namely; presence, participation, acceptance and achievement. This qualitative case study must be understood as an attempt to close the gap in the literature and to provide a deeper understanding with respect to access to higher education for students with disabilities. The study uses the social constructionism and social model of disability as lenses to guide the investigation. Data collection involved various methods namely, analysis of documents (policies, internal memoranda, official letters, minutes of the meetings and pictures), individual interviews and focus group discussions with staff and students with various forms of disabilities. Data was analysed through the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which begins analysis with a single unit and builds meaning from the unit to reflect the general patterns of behaviour across units. Findings reveal that though admission at the university is considered non-discriminatory, it is on merit bases. All students compete equally for available spaces and the identity of students with disabilities is considered irrelevant to disclose during selection of applicants. If a student with disabilities competes with students who were not exposed to similar challenges at primary and secondary levels, admission should be viewed as unfair. Additionally, Students with disabilities have limited choice of courses or programmes due to poor administration of concessions, lack of educational resources, inflexible teaching methods and curricula. This problem conflicts with the capability principle that promotes students’ choice of desired functionings. Further, disability data is not used to secure either the academic or social support services for the students at the institution. Students with disabilities are excluded from the social and extracurricular activities of the university with some bullied by staff and peers alike. Finally, the support provided by SENA, year-level tutors and welfare personnel is inadequate and does not afford opportunities ©University of South Africa 2017 for students with disabilities to participate equitably in the university’s academic and social programmes. The study concludes that access to institutions of higher education for students with disabilities in Lesotho is problematic. They remained ignored and underserved. There is a need for fundamental transformation of policies, practices and programmes to afford all students opportunities to gain admission, participate, and succeed in education. ©University of South Africa 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... ii ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................... iii APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2.1 Policy Context .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2.2 Access to Higher Education (HE) ................................................................................................ 2 1.2.3 Access to HE in Lesotho .............................................................................................................. 4 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................................................. 7 1.4 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 8 1.4.1 Aim .............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.4.2