To facilitate the Inclusive Education process in the FCT, the Model For Accessible and Inclusive School Environment (MAISE) was designed by the USAID-SACE and JONAPWD according to a draft policy of Inclusive Education in the territory that was made available to this medium.
Speaking during a technical session on how to finalize the proposed draft policy on inclusive education,the National President of JONAPWD Ms. Ekaete Umoh disclosed that persons with disabilities constitute about 15% of the population in developing countries like Nigeria adding that between 80 to 90% of such people don’t have access to basic education and basic needs of life.
Ms Umoh further blamed the situation on lack of commitment and political will by some leaders emphasizing that exclusive and inaccessible nature, structure and system of almost all the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.
According to JONAPWD boss, the restriction of education of children with disabilities to very few poorly staffed, poorly equipped and outdated limited special schools coupled with very low public awareness on issues of inclusive education for many years has affected education of children with disabilities in the country.
She also identified inadequate and human capacities required to implement inclusive education and inadequate poor implementation and lack of legal frameworks that should have help to enhance inclusive education for children with disabilities as major factors against inclusive education policy.
She explained: ” Nigeria has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 24 of which provides that all schools must be inclusive of and accessible to all children including those with disabilities”.
“The country has equally signed up to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 4 targets that by 2030 all school age children including those with disabilities must have access to qualitative, functional and effective education”.
It would interest all to know that, the national policy on education provides that education must be inclusive and children including those with disabilities have the right to qualitative, functional and effective education. The Universal Basic Education Act of 2014 provides that basic education is free and compulsory for all school age children.
Ms Ekaete however observed that most schools in Nigeria were not design to accommodate children with disabilities and advocated for inclusive education in the country in order to educate children with disabilities.
Also speaking at the event was Mrs Jean Onyekwelu, deputy Director, Special needs Education Secretariat Abuja.
She pointed out that all inclusive Education Policy is vital in all schools specially in the FCT which she explained will serve as a model for other state when finally endorse by the FCT minister.
Mrs Onyekwelu who is also the chairman of the Commitee consistently reminded members of her committee on the need to always be resolute and optimistic stating that Inclusive Education policy will provide adequate education for all handicapped children and adults to enable them fully play their roles in the development of the nation.
According to the draft policy, the vission for the all Inclusive policy of education is to provide and promote Education sensitivity to all children and adults in the FCT in pursuit of National policy on education and attainment of Education For All( EFA) and sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
Deputy Director from the Education Resource Centre Abuja, Mr Ataru Jonah, department of statistics told this medium in an interview that the need for all inclusive education in Nigeria and FCT in particular is now, maintaining that only three schools in the territory meant to address the problem of the physically children are grossly inadequate.
Critical education stakeholders who attended the workshop generally agreed that inclusion education programm would pave way for an increase accesss of children with disabilities and persons with varying disabilities to education in condusive and less restrictive environments and the provision of basic skill(thinking,communication,
Education Stakeholders equally said, the Goal of the FCT Policy on Inclusive Education is to ensure that Equal access to Education for all children and adults and promote retention,completion, and good performance for the non-disabled and disabled children and adults in the territory schools whether private and public.
