Abstract
This study focused on the Influence of policy on inclusive education in implementing inclusive education in lower grades primary schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to gather data. The study was located in Awendo, Migori County, Kenya. The study targeted lower grades primary school teachers in mainstream schools, which have special units. Respondents were 37 and included one education officer, nine school heads, and twenty-seven lower grades primary school teachers. The researcher employed descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data. The researcher tested the hypothesis using Pearson’s correlation analysis at a significant level of alpha .05. Findings revealed that the MOE policies guide on inclusive education is not practiced in the primary schools with special units. Many teachers in regular schools with special units have inadequate training in special needs education. There is no clear policy concerning the training and deployment of teachers in schools with special units. The classes are made of a mixture of learners with different categories of disabilities In addition to learners without special needs in education, making it difficult for teachers to manage the learners in the classroom. The main recommendation is that the ministry of education needs to introduce a system whereby an individual school with special units specializes in including only one category of disability. Teachers’ service commission should consider the various categories of learners with disabilities and schools’ specialization in including learners with disabilities before posting teachers trained in special needs education.
Keywords: Inclusive education, policy, and lower grades primary schools.