Education is a means of transferring knowledge and skills to upcoming generation. It is a method of raising responsible and self-reliant youngsters who will eventually become well-meaning adults in the society.
General education is for overall development of individuals in formal settings by teachers/ tutors with the administrative guidance of trained and certificated senior staffs. In this regard, either private or government policy makers and supervisors/curriculum implementers have duties of inspection and recommendations, employment, deployment, retirement and payment of staffs salaries while gratuity and pensions are for local, state and federal governments' workers.
Special education came into existence after second world war in which some Nigerians got injuries. Some soldiers and civilians got injuries and became people living with disabilities. As a result of this, Nigerian government and British nationals established school for the blind in Lagos, Ogbomoso in Òyó and Edo States.
School for the deaf (people with hearing impairment) was established in the eastern part of the country before it came to other parts of Nigeria. We now have special schools, schools for the blind/deaf/handicap, rehabilitation centres and inclusive institutions in some states in Nigeria.
Categories of persons with special needs are:
1. Persons with Hearing Impairment
2. People with Learning Disabilities
3. Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
4. Persons with Communication and Behaviour Disorders
5. People Who Need Rehabilitation
6. Persons with Physical Handicap
7. People with Visual Impairment
8. The Gifted and Talented Persons
According to Prof. O. A. Fakolade, persons with special needs are differentially wired and they need differentiated programmes or services in order to allow them to fulfill their destinies. E-learning should be embraced by special teachers in the current century. Special education should be seen as a call to serve humanity and not only money making venture.
Availability of persons with disabilities in the families and society is not a curse. Parents are expected to seek for early intervention and diagnosis before educational placement.
Federal College of Education-Special, Òyó became first teacher training college for persons with special needs in subsaharan Africa after University College of London in Ibadan, now the premier University.
Reasonable number of learners with Hearing Impairment (HI), Visual Impairment (VI), Learning Disability (LD), Communication and Behaviour Disorders (CBD), Physically Handicapped (PH), Rehabilitation (RE), Intellectual Disability (ID) and The Gifted and Talented (GT) few years back are now professionals within and outside Nigerian institutions and government agencies. One of them got a reputable political office this week.
Special education is special because special education facilitators see persons with special needs as integral part of the society that must not be neglected. Supreme being is in control of all things and this is why core specialists in this discipline don't discriminate.
Some handicapping conditions are age-related while some are prenatal or perinatal. Some could be due to injury at home or in the society or medication.
Till another class, disability can occur anytime or anyday. Let us always treat persons with disabilities the way we treat persons without special needs.
Inclusive education/inclusion/inclusiveness should be embraced by non-governmental and governmental organizations.
Thank you so much for reading this.
© Délé Odédélé
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