From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A Kaduna-based non-governmental organisation, Hope for Village Child (HVCF) has called on the Kaduna State government to ensure full implementation of the recently passed disability Law to make education inclusive for all including persons with disability (PWD).
The Foundation in partnership with Save the Children International (SCI)is implementing the disability component of the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria Education (PLANE) window III programme of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Kaduna.
Speaking on the sideline of a two-day training session on disability law, the Programme Manager of PLANE Window III, Kauru, Mr. Yusuf Kanhu, noted that his organisation focused on out-of-school children, especially disabled children.
“Within this approach, the Hope for Village Child Foundation is the disability partner on this project. What we do is to come up with interventions and approaches that will reduce the number of out-of-school children. Children with disability have the right to participate in anything that has to do with education and life”, he said.
Yusuf further said; “We have critical stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board, the School Board Management Committee, SCI which is our mother organisation, and the Joint Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) community.
“Now, we have the disability law in the state. One of the issues is after the law is in place; how do we enhance implementation of the disability Law to ensure that all children of school age have adequate access to safe and quality education without any form of discrimination or exclusion.
“Ensure basic modifications and reasonable adjustments of schools in the state to early identify and support children with disabilities including learning disabilities especially slow learners.
“Adopt and adapt inclusive education system. We have taken advocacy on the implementation of this law to relevant agencies to know what part of the law has been put to use and how can we work together to improve same.
“Knowing that is key because we still see public facilities without ramps for persons within the disability community. These government agencies should be able to put people with disability in all their plans”, he added.
On his part, the Chairman of the Joint National Association of PWD in Kaduna State, Rilwan Muhammed Abdullahi said, “inclusive education concerns us most where partners are working to ensure that disabled persons can learn in the same classroom with every other person.
“From the angle of the government, there are so many things to be fixed. For example, some of the structures are not “physically fit” because there are no provisions for ramps, or lifts that prevent somebody in a wheelchair from accessing them.
“Again, learning materials for the blind like Braille, slates, and stylus, among others are not there. We don’t also have adequate sign language interpreters to take of deaf persons in public schools.
“These are some of the factors to be considered for inclusive education to be inclusive.
“On the part of development partners and organisation of persons with disability (OPD) have been engaging government at different levels and fora on how to have inclusive education which is commendable.
“Although the state government is making an effort to make some of our schools inclusive, nothing serious has been seen in the State-owned higher institutions including Kaduna State University, Kaduna (Central) College of Education, Gidan Waya (South) and Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria (North), it is hard to see any inclusive education taking place there”, he believed