high-level officials at the federal and state ministries,
•
departments and agencies and local schools were
School-Based Management Committees conducting enrolment drives with a strong focus on disability,
unaware of the existence or recent developments to
gender and ethnicity.
[Special Educational Needs and Disabilities] policies”.
80
Interviewees repeatedly noted that the concept of
•
Efforts to train teachers in supporting children with
inclusive education is new in Nigeria, and understanding
disabilities (e.g. training in sign language, braille and
is therefore limited. It is essential to raise the awareness
attitudes to disability).
and understanding of state-level officials of the NPIEN, and how it can be adapted to state level policy.
•
Efforts to train teachers in improving child-centred practice.
It is difficult to fully assess financing and workforce development for inclusive education in Nigeria, as
•
reports and studies often only report on a small
Small-scale efforts to bring special schools and mainstream schools closer together.
number of States. A UNICEF report noted that 33 of the 36 States have developed basic education strategic plans linked to the 2016-2019 National Ministerial
•
Small-scale funding of equipment for schools to support learners with disabilities.
Strategic Plan, but it was not clear the extent to which disability-inclusive education was included.81
The planning and deployment of teacher specialisation also requires action to match school needs to teaching
A recent review of the Education Sector Support
staff at state level.83 A 2008 report on rolling-out
Programme in Nigeria highlighted the following activities
inclusive education in Nigeria noted that “there is need
to promote inclusive education, while recognising that
to document the number, characteristics and specific
these only occurred in six States:82
geographic location of students required to be in inclusive programmes, the number of specialists who
•
Awareness raising campaigns at state and local
will support their instruction, the necessary amount of
government levels for children with disabilities and
in-class and out-of-class collaboration between special
other vulnerable children to be enrolled in local
and general education teachers, and the optimal type
schools, with messaging that children with disabilities
and extent of support from ancillary staff.”84
do not only have to attend special schools.
PHOTO: ANDREW ESIEBO/SHOOT THE EARTH/ACTIONAID
THE BEDROCK OF INCLUSION: WHY INVESTING IN THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE IS CRITICAL TO THE DELIVERY OF SDG4
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