TEACHERS TRAINING AND COMPETENCY IN IMPLEMENTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOME SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF YEKI WOREDA , SHEKA ZONE SNNPR.

<strong>ABSTRACT: </strong>The purpose of this study was to investigate the current teacher training and competency in addressing the needs of children with special educational needs in inclusive education in selected primary schools of Yeki woreda sheka zone. To achieve the purpose of the study, basic research questions were raised. The study employed a descriptive survey design with triangulation method. The sample populations of the study were 73 teachers, 8 principals, 5supervisors and 1 woreda education office, expert. The student researcher selected teachers using a simple random sampling technique and administered a questionnaire. School principals were selected for interview using availability sampling, supervisors using comprehensive sampling and woreda education expert using purposive sampling. The findings revealed that the majority of teachers responded that they had not gained sufficient knowledge during teacher training program which enabled them competent to teach children with special educational needs in inclusive classrooms,as result the majority teachers do not provide appropriate support to children with special educational needs in inclusive classroos. Inaddition most teachers do not equipped with adequate teaching strategies during their teacher training program to teach children in inclusive classrooms. Furthermore the majority of teachers responded that they haven’t got knowledge and skills on how to adapt the curriculum to teach children with special needs in inclusive classrooms during their training. Therefore majority of the participants felt since they were not adequately prepared to practice inclusive education teaching in inclusive classrooms. In this study, teachers admitted that they need more training in the field of educating children with special education in order to accommodate and teach children with special needs. The lack of trainng in inclusive education,learning materials allocation, and teachers competency are also the major challenges for practicing the Special needs/Inclusive education. All these issues highlighted are very important and it hoped that the outcome of the findings would provide the woreda with new strategies to improve and strengthen their competency in teaching children with SNE in inclusive classrooms.