Focussing on the experiences and perceptions of parents and volunteer caregivers of children with disabilities, this paper reports on a study that explored the provision of early childhood development and inclusive education for children with disabilities in rural Malawi. Drawing on a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, ten local community researchers and two Malawian researchers collaborated to interview forty caregivers and parents of children with disabilities attending ten Community Based Care Centres (CBCCS) in Southern Malawi. Findings are reported through four key themes: experiences of disability, inclusion, learning and developmental progress; factors influencing nonenrolment and absenteeism; barriers to learning and progress; and accountability and support channels. Five key components were highlighted: 1) relevance of peer interactions for learning outcomes and wellbeing; 2) the importance of the CBCC as (a model for) a safe space against discrimination; 3) relevance of quality education and pre-school teacher training; 4) necessity of material support to decrease absenteeism; 5) the need for greater community and state support for children with disabilities. The implications of the study's findings are discussed, including the importance and relevance of considering the perspectives of community based actors in program and policy design.
Since the medieval university was established in Padua and Bologna, and throughout the development of the American research university, institutions of higher education have provided vital representations of culture, and perhaps more important, they have been instrumental in shaping culture and society. In recent years, however, the university has been criticized for a range of reasons, including rising tuition, declining standards, pursuing basic research that is too ethereal, or selling out to the demands and financial incentives of industry and government. Yet, the university is not “in ruins.” Indeed, society continues to look to the university for answers to the problems that intrigue us. As the new millennium approaches, universities have to rise to the challenges posed by the complex environment in which they thrive and strive.
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