Assessment Of Parents Support And Students' Performance; A Case Study Of Loldia Primary School, Naiv Asha District, Kenya

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effect of parent's involvement in education on the

academic performance of the mentally retarded children in public primary schools

of Kenya specifically the study intended to: determine whether cultural beliefs

among the parents affects the enrolment of mentally retarded children in the zone;

determine whether the parents teach their mentally retarded children adaptive skills;

To establish whether the parents of mentally retarded children play their role

effectively as far as the education of their children is concerns and to find out

whether the parents understand and appreciate the importance of taking their

mentally retarded children for assessment The employed the use of descriptive

approach. This means that the researcher described the data or the findings using

both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The target population in this study was

all the parents and teachers of mentally retarded children in the zone. Two parents

of mentally retarded and teachers from each school constituted the sample selected

using non probabilistic method The major findings from the study was that cultural

beliefs, negligence, lack of sensitization and lack of technical skills among the

parents and the teachers are the major cause of Low enrolment of mentally retarded

children in the Zone. The study recommended that parents and the siblings should

appreciate their little achievement in order to boost their morale. They should be

allowed to socialize and interact with their peers. They should provide simulative

home environment. They should give them an opportunity to learn through special

education. This means that the parents should play their role effectively. Teachers

of mentally retarded children should use a mortified curriculum to accommodate the

interest of these children. They should provide and enrich and friendly environment

to attract such learners. Those teachers who have not under-gone special training

should go for in service where they will learn new skills of how to handle these learners. They should take them for assessment.