Country Rep wants inclusive education for persons with disabilities
NAN-HG-7
Education
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja, Dec. 14, 2016 (NAN) The Country Representative, Christian Blind Mission International, Mrs Toyin Aderemi, has called on the Federal government to develop legislative framework and national policy for inclusive education for persons with disabilities.
Aderemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that inclusive education for persons with disabilities would improve access and quality.
According to her, inclusion is a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from education.
She said it involved changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision that covers all children of appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children.
Aderemi said inclusive education must be an integral part, and assumes a cross-cutting dimension in all educational reforms to achieve “Education for All’’, in vision and in practice.
“Parents do not see the value of educating a child with disability; some parents are afraid of discrimination and negative attitudes of others.
“Those children with disabilities in schools face barriers, such as inaccessible physical environment, inaccessible communication and lack of adapted learning materials.
“Negative attitudes, insensitivity and failure to acknowledge the rights of persons with disabilities are the root causes of the barriers to education,’’ she said.
Aderemi said there are wrong beliefs about inclusion of learners with disabilities, saying inclusion is a basic human right.
“People need to change their perception of Persons with Disabilities like children with disabilities cannot learn like non-disabled children.
“Some even say inclusive education is very expensive, the quality of education drops when children with disabilities are included in the regular classes.’’
She said that educating children with disabilities was a worthwhile investment. (NAN)
OEO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola