Osun charged to do more on inclusive education 

Osun state government has been charged to do more on inclusive education in the state by encouraging children with disabilities to attend mainstream schools like their counterparts without disabilities.

This was the view of the stakeholders during a reflection exercise organised by Community Advancement Initiative for Self Reliance (CAI4SR). 

As part of its efforts to contribute to inclusive teaching and learning, CAI4SR is currently implementing a project in which five schools in Olorunda and Osogbo Local Government areas of the state were selected to pilot an initiative to make mainstream schools accessible to children with disabilities.

The reflection exercise brought stakeholders, including chairman and members of the Osun State Chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), representatives of ministries of Education, Health, Works together. 

Other participants at the reflection meeting include officials of State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), workers from Osun State University and teachers from selected schools among others. 

The reflection meeting provided a platform for the stakeholders to review CAI4SR’s strategies in order to identify the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses in the delivery of its programmes. 

This is to add value to the work of the organisation in order to make its interventions more effective.

Stakeholders at the event called on the state government to make public schools accessible to accommodate children and young persons with disabilities.

It will be recalled that a newly admitted student who is deaf at the event, Zainab declined admission into special school insisting on attending conventional/mainstream school.

She said “I don’t want to be in special school. I can cope in the normal school. I prefer the normal school to the special school.”

Eunice Alani who taught Zainab when she was in primary school said the girl is keenly willing to be educated. 

A disability specialist, Dr. Oluropo Ayeni supported the views of the stakeholders. Ayeni spoke against the backdrop of the need to expand the access to education for children with disabilities in the state. 

Ayeni said there is the need to make conventional school accessible to children with disabilities so that they can interact and develop with other children rather than segregating them in the special school only. 

He posits that access to education for children with disabilities is their rights and should be given special attention. 

This will afford children with disabilities who may not be willing to attend special school the opportunity to go to mainstream schools and complete their education.

Ayeni urged Osun State House of Assembly to pass disability Bill into law to curb discrimination and protect the interest of persons with disabilities.

The Executive Director of CAI4SR, Eni Ayeni said the NGO trained some teachers in the state to strengthen their capacity to conduct simple early detection and diagnosis of disability among children.

She said four existing government primary, secondary and one tertiary institutions in Olorunda and Osogbo Local Government areas with a high population of students with disabilities would be used to pilot the project.