The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), states that “States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity.” The Convention further states that “children with disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary education on the basis of disability.”

National Picture: Children living with disabilities and Education in Nigeria

According to the United Nations Education Children Fund, UNICEF, about 95% of children living with disabilities in developing countries are out of school, and 90% of them may never gain access to basic education.

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies also revealed that about seven million children with disabilities are out of school in Nigeria, constituting over 50% of total out of school children. Despite the Discrimination Against People Living with disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2019, statistics still show that over 70 percent still face serious exclusion from education.

Disabilities come in various types, including physical, hearing, intellectual, visual, and learning disabilities. These disabilities have significantly caused a great challenge in the learning environment for children. However, this does not mean that a child lacks the capacity to learn; rather, conducive physical facilities and quality teaching methods are the major challenges these children face.

Children with disabilities face specific barriers when it comes to learning; a document published by Handicap International states that poor school infrastructure is a major barrier. Many schools, especially in the underdeveloped areas, lack ramps, classrooms designed to accommodate wheelchairs, and accessible restrooms.

Osun State: A Reflection of the National Crisis

Findings from Osun State further reflect the crisis children with disabilities face. The Director of Public Schools in Osun State, Idowu Jokotola, disclosed that the state has special needs primary schools located in specific areas in the state. “We have 1 in Ikirun, 1 in Osogbo, 4 in Ile Ife, Ikoyi, Modakeke, Ikoyi, Ilesa, Ayegbaju, Ilaro, and only one Secondary school in Osun State.”

The limited number of schools for special needs children across the state highlights that special needs children are often denied access to education or forced to travel a far distance to go to school, a reality that is antithetical to their conditions.

An official from the Government School for Persons with Special Needs, who spoke on condition of anonymity in Osogbo, disclosed that the secondary school currently has a total number of 300 students. “The school has 300 students, and they have 3 major categories of students, which are visually impaired, hearing impaired, physically handicapped, and low intelligent students”.

While speaking about the school’s ability to meet the students’ needs and the difficulties they face in learning, the school official stated that it has not been easy, however noting that the school has special teachers teaching the students, and also commended the government for its efforts. “We thank God for the government, we thank the government for giving them three meals in a day, and we thank society for always contributing to their needs.”

The use of sign language and specially trained teachers, are the commonest teaching methods adopted in schools for special needs children. “We have teachers that can teach and interpret for the hearing impaired, we use sign language for them, and we have teachers that specialize in that. We have Mathematics, English, all the science subjects, and we use sign languages to teach them. We also have specialists for the visually impaired, who teach them how to braille, how to use typewriters to write and do exams”, said the school official.

Similarly, at the School for Persons with Special Needs Nursery School, Osogbo, the Head of Department for Intellectual Disabilities, Opeyemi Agoro, noted that teachers use play way method in teaching the pupils. “We mostly use the playway method to teach them, because sometimes when we are ready to teach them, they may not be ready to learn, so we sing, and dance with them to motivate them.”

One of the barriers hindering most children with special needs from enrolling in school is the lack of funds. Many parents do not have enough funding to provide basic learning materials for their children. “Our hand is not equal, most children don’t have enough because of their background. Not every parent has the money to pay for WAEC. Most parents don’t have the money to buy textbooks, uniforms, and shoes, but we thank God for sponsors; they have sponsors who pay for some of their needs.”

Another critical barrier is the availability of teaching materials and a conducive environment for the students. Children who have difficulties in seeing and hearing require special resources. It is a great concern that most schools lack these materials to assist them. “We don’t have enough, our classroom is not enough, we put their loads in our office, we don’t have enough toilets.” The school official lamented.

When asked if there are enough teachers in the school, the school official noted that the school has P.T.A teachers employed by the government. “Yes, we still have P.T.A teachers, but they are not as many as before.”

Speaking on security measures put in place for the children, the school official praised the government for their effort, “We thank God, we thank the government for helping us build a fence around the school.”

Beyond these barriers is the stigma, neglect, and discrimination that children living with disabilities often face. These children are often discouraged by their family members, who have not yet embraced them for who they are; a lot of them still face society stigma where they are ridiculed, mocked, and bullied.

Adebolu Adejobi, an advocate for children and teens with or without disabilities who is also disabled, while sharing his experience as a cerebral palsy warrior, said a lot of people in society, especially bus drivers, often neglect him because of his condition in public. Like this, thousands of disabled children are denied access to processes that are free to every other person.

Addressing the issue of parental neglect, an official of one of the schools visited appealed to parents of children with special needs to embrace and express genuine care for their children, just like the teachers take care of them while in school. “Many parents don’t want them to come home, parents should continue to take care of their children. It is their own trial, the more they continue to take care of them, the more God continue to bless them”.

She thanked the Osun State Government, sponsors and communities for their continued support over the years, and called for more investment for a promising future for the students.

Read Also: Teachers’ recruitment: Give us chance to work – Persons with disabilities tell Adeleke

While the challenges continue to hover around, there are significant ways to change the narrative about the poor access given to children with disabilities, and this is by providing accessible infrastructure, ramps, enough restrooms, and classrooms that can accommodate students.

Government also needs to provide learning materials tailored for children with disabilities. Braille books, audio materials, and other tools must be readily made available for them.

Lastly, community awareness is another significant means to help children living with disabilities. Parents and community elites must encourage parents to send their children to school. This will significantly help in reducing stigma and promoting inclusivity in society.Access to education is a fundamental right that must not be limited by disability, and society is responsible for ensuring that all children, no matter their conditions, enjoy this right.

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