Inclusive school managers have cried out, saying there are not enough Braille books and other specialised equipment to train handicapped students in inclusive schools (schools for both normal and handicapped persons). This is as a visually impaired professor has asked the government to make inclusive education compulsory at all public schools.
The lamentation came at a conference organised on how to make education get to handicapped students in a theme; ‘Ensuring that no Child is left Behind’, which took place at the Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre (CTIEC) in Iriebe part of Port Harcourt, recently. This was to mark the 80th birthday of the founder of the 11-year-old school, Christie Toby, wife of the one-time deputy governor of the state, Gabriel Toby.
The Executive Director of Arch Deacon Brown Education Centre (ABEC) which runs series of schools, including CTIEC, Ibim Semenitari, regretted that publishers shun Braille edition of books.
According to her, a conversation with publishers showed that such books were not economically viable because of low demand in the market. She said it was clear that the government ought to subsidise the publishing of such books for the benefit of visually impaired students.
Insisting that no child should be left behind, Ibim said: “Inclusive education teaches the real world where everyone lives in. There are challenges in running an inclusive school system. The number one is how to source their books because publishers shun Braille text books, plus other equipment needed to help them study.”
Giving an insight into the spirit of handicapped students, the journalist, publisher and administrator said handicapped students work up to 10 times above normal students before they could make it. “All hands must be on deck so that all will be included. No one should be left out,” she said.
The one-time commissioner for Information in Rivers State reminded the public that everybody has one form of impairment or the other. “Some are as little as needing glasses to read.”
Adding voice to the reality against handicapped education, the principal of the school, Godwin Ogbeni made it clear that the era of special school system is gone to give way to inclusive system where both types co-habit and strive together.
He said this is because there is no special university, no special churches, no working centre or special employments. He hailed the founder, saying, “The proprietor provided an environment for the impaired persons to meet their challenges. The school can compete internationally. The school has produced law students and others.
“Inclusive education allows those without impairment to learn to appreciate those with impairment. Good is when you do something to somebody who cannot repay you. Mrs Toby is giving eyes to those who do not have eyes; and a shoulder to those weeping to lean on. This is her creed: Let governments, leaders imbibe this.”
He appealed to the government to roll out national policy on inclusive education. “Special school’s era is gone. So, integrated education is the starting point. This is why this school stands out taller than others. The school is a cost centre, not a profit centre.”
A parent, who spoke on the day, insisted that no child is a coconut head. “Find the key. I am proud that my children attend a school where they are taught that limitations don’t limit you. They are taught to view the next person positively. I urge the teachers to take their jobs as a calling more than just to earn a living.”
In the keynote address, the visually impaired professor, Obodoegbulam Otto of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, who hails from Obuburu town in Onelga, Rivers State, pointed to the 1994 UNESCO Conference where he said the world was reminded of things not yet done in the education sector. “This was the area of inclusiveness which exposed that fact that education system was leaving out a segment of the society,” Otto said.
The genius, who boasts of four degrees including Masters in Guidance and Counseling with several awards spoke on ‘All, Meaning All’, said: “God created just one human world. All children love and desire and have goals. They also have things to contribute.”
He identified what he termed the three ‘P’s of the inclusive education system, saying each ‘P’ ought to be carefully implemented. He said inclusive system has a policy, a process, and a practice. “The three must be activated along the way,” he emphasized.
He however, said that Nigeria was only at the first ‘P’. “Nigeria has just begun in policy, but there are gaps. The formulators or those who design the inclusive policy do not feel the pinch. There is need to close the gap.
“Government should make it compulsory for concrete steps to practicalise the policy, let there be supervisors to confirm that the policy was being implemented and show that it is working at local levels.
“Government should make inclusive education compulsory. Process obstacles include physical, mental, material, etc. Public buildings do not cater for handicapped persons. COREN should take note so that before any building plan is approved, it must provide for handicapped persons. Public schools are not designed to cater for handicapped persons. Most drains are open, meaning that those without eyes should freely fall into them.
“There should be records for planners. There should be adequate motivation for those who man and teach handicapped persons. There is need for stipends that obtained in the past to handicapped students and their teachers. Do not crush their spirit.”
Highlight of the day was the presence of some ex-students who are now in various universities, especially one that is now a law student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. There was also a visually impaired junior secondary school student, Miracle Tamuno, who easily calls out the name of any dignitary he has once heard on radio.
He reeled out names of On-Air Personalities (OAPs) in Port Harcourt and showed huge excitement in his said desire to study mass communication and end up as a radio journalist, an OAP. Tamuno is said to have constructed an irrigation gadget.
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