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Introduction

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Community-Based Education for Students with Developmental Disabilities in Tanzania

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Education ((BRIEFSEDUCAT))

Abstract

Special education is relatively new in Tanzania, and students with disabilities are just starting to participate regularly in school settings, mostly self-contained schools and classrooms. This study was conducted in Lushoto, Tanzania, at a school for children with special needs. The study examined the role of local culture and context in the curriculum and preparation of students with disabilities for active community membership after they leave school. This chapter gives an overview of special education in Tanzania, the importance of local contexts in curriculum development, and a brief description of the study methodology.

Ni bora uwe nacho cha thamani ndogo kuliko kukosa kabisa.

It is better to have something of less value than nothing at all.

Swahili proverb (Kisanji 1995a)

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The name and location of the school have not been concealed because of the uniqueness of the school and the geographical, social, and cultural importance of the location in writing this ethnography. It would be hard to discuss the uniqueness of the school without revealing its identity, and the school deserves recognition for its efforts.

  2. 2.

    Sections of this chapter first appeared in Stone-MacDonald (2012b). They appear here in a revised form.

  3. 3.

    Since many people are self-employed and data collection in rural areas is difficult where the highest numbers of self-employed people live, it is hard to find accurate data. It is likely that unemployment is greater than 30 %.

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  1. University of Massachusetts, Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA

    Angela Stone-MacDonald

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  1. Angela Stone-MacDonald
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Stone-MacDonald, A. (2014). Introduction. In: Community-Based Education for Students with Developmental Disabilities in Tanzania. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7320-2_1

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