THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES OF STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES;THE CASE OF SOME SELECTED SCHOOLS AT LANFURO WOREDIN SILTE ZONE

<strong>ABSTRACT: </strong>The main purpose of the study is to investigate the academic and social challenges of learners with physical disabilities in the primary schools of Lanfuro Woreda Silte Zone Southern Region. Its specific objectives included; (1) identifying the academic challenges that encountered on physically disabled students in <em>some selected primary schools of Lanifuro Woreda Silte Zone,</em><br> (2) <em>identifying the social challenges that comes upon on students with physical disabilities in some selected primary schools of Lanifuro Woreda Silte Zone as well as</em><br> (3) <em>exploring the methods of the sample schools</em> in improving the educational challenges of students with physical disabilities. The study employed quantitative and qualitative research methods in collecting and analyzing data. Observations were used to examine infrastructure situations in all sample schools. Questionnaires and interviews were also used to collect data from 18 students with physically disabilities and 15 homeroom teachers. Interview techniques was used further to collected data from 6 school principals, 6 unit leaders, 5 parents of students with physical disabilities and 5 peer students. Findings revealed that infrastructural areas largely seemed to be available but highly inadequate while only one school; center of the cluster had better available infrastructural systems necessary for physically disabled students. Out of six sample schools, involved in the study, about an average of 95 percent of their infrastructure were accessible with difficulty to students with physical disabilities. It was only 5 percent of infrastructure that were easily accessible. The study also found high inadequacy of teaching and learning materials as well as lack of special schemes, trained staff, for students with physical disabilities. Hence it was recommended that government and other stakeholders should take special considerations and actions in order to accommodate students with physical disabilities in the primary schools under the study.