Exploring the Namibian inclusive education policy’s responses to gender nonconforming learners: A case of Erongo region

Abstract

This study explored the Namibian Inclusive Education policy‟s responses to gender nonconforming learners in Namibian schools. Gender nonconformity within the scope of this study refers to nonconforming to societal gender expectations through behaviour, presentation, sexual identity or any other means construed as normal by societies. Thus the study was guided by the research question: How does the Namibian IE Policy respond to gender nonconforming learners in Namibian schools? Even though there is growing evidence on mistreatment of gender nonconforming learners in schools worldwide, there is minimal evidence on the support for gender nonconforming learners within the Namibian schools. Additionally, there is paucity of literature on gender nonconformity in the Namibian education context. The current study used a convergent parallel transformative mixed methods case study design encased within a Social Identity Perspective (SIP) to understand the research problem. A random sampling procedure was used to select 182 school teachers in Erongo region, Namibia. In addition, purposive criterion sampling was used to select 27 schools with grades 8-12 from which the population sample of teachers was randomly drawn. The purposive criterion sampling was also used to select one Deputy Director of Special Programmes and Schools (SPS), one Deputy Director of Diagnostic, Assessment and Training Services (DATs), one Regional School Counsellor as well as one Inclusive Education officer at the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) to be part of the sample. The data were collected through quantitative and qualitative data collection procedures concurrently. The qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire (Appendix K) and a face-to-face interview. The qualitative data were also collected through a questionnaire completed by the teachers. The qualitative data from the interviews and the questionnaire were analysed thematically to arrive at emerging patterns and themes. The quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire (Appendix K) which was completed by the teachers. The quantitative data were then analysed using a Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) software. Since this study is of a mixed-method nature, the data are integrated at the discussion phase. The findings of this study revealed a positive response of the Namibian IE policy to all learners in Namibian schools. However, the IE policy was found to be silent on issues of gender nonconformity within education. This silence was found to be reflected in the Namibian education system at the tertiary education level. There is a lack of sexual orientation content in the curriculum of teacher education in Namibian institutions of higher learning. However, at basic education level, the national school curriculum and the Life Skills as subject curriculum content do cover topics on sexual orientation. The gender nonconforming learners were being tolerated in some schools. Moreover, gender nonconformity is addressed according to individual, religious and societal beliefs in schools. The current study recommends for the IE policy review for the policy to clearly refer to the care and support for gender nonconforming learners in schools. Further the study recommends for establishment of legal frameworks that supports the IE policy with clear guidelines on how to handle gender nonconformity issues in schools, introduction of sexual orientation content into the curriculum for the teacher-training programmes, for the Life Skills as a subject to be an examinable subject, creation of supportive learning environments and for the strengthening of the psychological support to learners. The study made a contribution to the existing knowledge on gender nonconformity studies in the Namibian context. The conception of the SIP used within a convergent parallel transformative mixed methods paradigm stands as a methodological contribution to research in the field of inclusive education. The frame-work for supplementing the implementation of the IE policy has also contributed towards the inclusive practices in the Namibian context.