A Case Study of SNE Resource Center Practices in Zomba District, Malawi

Most developed and developing countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Malawi, formulated the National Inclusive Education Strategy as a way of moving from the special education system to the newly introduced inclusive education system. A case study was conducted to understand how resource centers, which are the main instrument to promote inclusive education in Malawi, have been practicing the new policies. The results of the case study provide us with some implications of the importance of the support from a head teacher, teachers and community members for carrying out inclusive education activities effectively in a regular school. Data collected through observations, interviews, and questionnaires also showed that there are some good examples of practices produced by specialist teachers and children with disabilities; these informative practices need be shared and examined to develop a model for better interpretation and implementation of policies at the school level by linking top-down and bottom-up approaches.