
Jonathan Chitiyo, associate professor of education at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and Center for African Studies faculty affiliate, has published a new book about teaching children with disabilities in Africa.
Chitiyo, who is from Zimbabwe, studied three countries: Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, where he investigated how teachers are taught to support students with special needs.
The book highlights the global issue of teacher shortages, particularly in countries with developing economies, which endure the most of this challenge.
“The first thing schools across Africa need to meet the needs of students with special needs is an adequate supply of well-trained teachers,” Chitiyo said.
Chitiyo said he wrote “Discussions of Inclusive Education within African Contexts” to help current and future teachers learn the best ways to support students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. These children make up 10% of kids in Eastern and Southern Africa, according to UNICEF, and continue to be marginalized in their education.