By Edward Dibiana
Many parents of children with special needs would obviously respond with a capital YES to this question. From their individual experiences, government, through its actions or inaction, has exhibited dismal interest in the educational needs of this special demography. Access to education for these group of vulnerable children, has been left in the hands of private operators, and has therefore, become overly commercialised and financially strangulating for many.
World Down Syndrome Day: Imperative of true inclusivity
▪︎Government schools are not designed, structurally or curriculum wise, to be useful to, or accommodate the needs of children with special needs.
▪︎Government schools lack the required facility, resources or special educators to meet the individual educational needs of children with learning disabilities and other challenges.
▪︎Government has overtime, shown apparent disregard for inclusion and rights of these children, in either the recruitment of required personnel or provision of special learning aids and enabling environment that would encourage the education of children with special needs.
▪︎You may argue that Nigeria has a Disability Act that ought to address these issues, but how has that law been enforced?
#SayNoToUnjustExclusion #All children deserve equal opportunities
…Cull Dibiana is a time tested journalist based in Abuja
