Abstract:
Governments devote considerable amounts of budgetary allocation to education globally. One area which
receives considerable attention is teacher training. However, for special needs education, there is often a lack
of specialised training for teachers, which can have a significant impact on the quality of education and
support provided to learners with special needs. It is from this perspective that this study was designed to
assess how government support and teacher training influence the teaching of learners with special needs in
public primary schools in Kenya. The article is an extract of a study that was conducted in the Machakos Sub-
County of Kenya in 2022. The study was based on Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory and used a
descriptive survey research method. The target population was 71 head teachers, 802 teachers, and one
curriculum support officer for special needs. The study had a sample size of 80 teachers, three head teachers,
and one curriculum support officer for special needs. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires
for the teachers, an interview schedule for head teachers, and one curriculum support officer for special
needs education. The results show that financial government support for special needs education is
inadequate and untimely. The Constituency Development Fund contribution was deemed the most impactful.
The study concluded that most facilities in public primary schools were not suitable for use by learners with
special needs. The study also concludes that there is a training gap among teachers on SNE. The study thus
recommended that the government review SNE policies on funding and SNE teacher training as well as
reconsider the capitation for learners with special needs. Further, the study recommends that the Teachers
Service Commission to increase the number of SNE teachers in all the schools in order to ensure better
teaching and learning outcomes for learners with special needs.
