Reflection on what each circle of Inclusive Education might represent in practice:

This submission is based on my working knowledge as a staff, of practice of inclusiveness in ESSPIN interventions schools in six states

1.   System: Commitment and resources across education ministries and throughout the school;

The National Policy on Education (NPE) 2014 lays great emphasis on issues of Special Needs Education. Furthermore, the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2004 also emphasizes on the need to institute special interventions, as such it mandated Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to mobilize and enlighten stakeholders on how to ensure their commitment and participation in the Basic Education delivery process so that the objectives are realized especially at the State, LGEA and Community levels.

 

There has been stakeholder involvement in setting goals on inclusive education and has enabled states, LGEAs and schools to assess their own commitment and progression in school improvement and inclusive education. In collaboration with the SBMC, schools in some areas have developed an inclusive school policy and set clear guidelines for all staff and pupils.

 

For instance, in1993 the federal government enacted a legislation on the handicapped- “the Nigerians with disability decree” to provide a clear and comprehensive legal protection and security for Nigerians with disability, as well as establish a standard for enhancement of the rights and privileges, guaranteed under this decree and other laws applicable to the disabled in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Another significant step towards comprehensive education reform was the passing into law of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act (2004). Other government policy interventions targeted at inclusive education in Nigeria to include, the enactment of three crucial activities which were (i) signing of the UNESCO National Education Strategy (UNESS) for Nigeria (2006-2015) which was the outcome of a two-day UNESCO/Federal Ministry of Education stakeholders round table. (ii) The launch of Community Accountability and Transparent Initiatives (CATTI), (iii) the publication of national plan based on the

education sector situation analysis which clearly reveals the serious dysfunctional state of Nigerian education.

 

Issue: Policies are usually not implemented to the letters.

 

In order to accommodate special needs education, the Federal Government of Nigeria, approved 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) to UBE Commission to support States to cater for the education of children with disability, which the Commission has been disbursing since 2005 to SUBEBs and to selected qualified private providers.

 

 

Issue: Fund allocation is easily done, but fund releases have always been an issue.

 

Kaduna State has an ambitious plan to make all public schools inclusive to accommodate the needs of all children. The Ministry of Education and SUBEB are worked in partnership with the Ministry of Health to assess children with disability to determine if they can be integrated into public schools. As a result 1,372 more children with disabilities enrolled in public schools (2011/12 ASC) and tricycles were distributed to a number of children who now attend school regularly. The state is also encouraging parents to learn sign language to enable them to communicate with children living with hearing impairment.

 

Issue: Shortage of funds makes provision of adequate teaching and learning materials difficult.

 

 

2.   Support: For teachers and students working and learning in inclusive environments;

In Kwara State, teachers from special schools are now supporting teachers in the mainstream schools on how to work with pupils with different abilities and needs, providing training for teachers in mainstream schools, and offering guidance to other teachers in strategies for teaching children with different disabilities and different learning needs.

 

In Kaduna state, a structure for building the capacity of teachers in the mainstream schools to teach children with disability has been established. Teachers from inclusive / mainstream school from LGEAs are selected for training, based on their motivation and positive attitude towards children. The Director of the Kaduna School for the Deaf (an internationally supported NGO school) delives disability-inclusive practice-training course to these teachers, assisted by hearing and visual impairment experts from the school. The training covers attitudinal change, enabling teachers to express their worries about being asked to teach disabled children and focused on building their confidence to work with children with disability. Training also includes using sign language, Braille, and active learning techniques to be able to engage with a range of learners. When the trainees return to their schools, they are normally assigned as focus teachers for a particular area of disability, in addition to their regular teaching duties.

 

In the six ESSPIN intervention states, Head Teachers are supported through a leadership programme which promotes the meeting the needs of all pupils and engenders collaboration with the schools’ SBMC to make sure the school and the class teachers’ behaviours meet the needs of individual pupils.

 

Issue: Shortage of adequate manpower. Trained teachers and leaders (head teachers and SBMC) are usually not replaced after the retire and leave the system.

  

 

3.   Cultural change: Respect for diversity and participatory learning

Negative attitudes towards Albinos have changed.

At State level, in Kaduna, negative attitudes and beliefs against children affected by Albinism are changing. Albinos are now allowed to put on long dresses to protect their skins from harsh weather. Children living with Albinism are being supported with teaching and learning materials for their sight impairment and some have received scholarships from the Albino Foundation.

 

Teachers are practicing inclusive teaching to their level of abilities. A pupil in Kano state said “The teacher doesn’t put and “x” mark on wrong work…she teaches you how to get it right until you get it.”

 

One head teacher in Jigawa quipped: “Sports for girls encourage them to come to school and stay in school because it is fun. Playing sports makes the girls feel that they are given a chance to feel important and proud of what they can achieve.”

 

Issue: Girls are not yet participating actively in class as their male counterparts.

 

4.   Partnerships: Parents, teachers, organisations of people with disabilities

Relationship building to foster continuous commitment of the Kano state government includes: Establishment of a Technical Implementation Committee, with high ranking government personnel ensuring rapid programme mobilization;

 

Jigawa state Gender (Male + Female) Champions Initiative: men and women role models are identified by the communities as positive deviants who can inspire and motivate School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) that women’s participation is essential to their success. Gender champions engage with schools and communities to increase girl enrolment, talk about the benefits of women’s participation and child protection, as well as address other inclusive behaviours at schools. Gender Champions are based in the school communities; From the local community (e.g. active SBMC members, women’s group leaders, teachers) and from LGEA or State (e.g. politicians, professionals, civil servants); Fully supportive of – and convinced of the need for – women’s participation; Able to persuade, inspire and motivate women to participate and men to encourage and facilitate women’s participation

 

Issue: Where committee members are not given some stipends, at least to cover transportation expenses, they do not function as expected.

 

5.   Monitoring: Tracking progress on a regular basis

School Support Officers (SSOs) from the State Universal Basic Education Board carry out school support visits on a regular basis. The visits provide on-the-job-support to Head Teachers and Class Teachers and ensure that the learning from the training and inclusive practices are implemented in the classroom.

 

Issue: The SSOs themselves need to be monitored to ensure all schools are visited at the rate. Some schools in hard to reach locations are rarely visited, while those in cities and semi-urban are even over-visited.