Movements towards promoting inclusion and equity in education, including the British Council
To raise awareness about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), British Council Nigeria has brought together stakeholders to chart a pathway to include children with disabilities and gender in education.
Lucy Pearson, Country Director and Lead for Africa at the British Council, pointed out that the educational well-being of children, regardless of their gender or type of disability, can only be achieved through shared knowledge and collective efforts.
She stated this at the three-day annual Inclusive Education Conference themed “Promoting Inclusion and Equity in Education in Nigeria” held in Abuja yesterday.
Mr Pearson said: “The essence of the Inclusion Summit is to ensure every child’s right to learn. While Nigeria has certainly made considerable progress in this area with its inclusive education policy, implementation and mainstreaming remain slow. This is a challenge.
“All children should have equal access to high-quality education, so British Councils are supporting the Nigerian government by providing best practice.”
Speaking on the government’s efforts to mainstream disability and inclusivity in the education of children in Nigeria, the Minister of State for Education, DRM Yusuf Sununu, said that for a significant number of children in Nigeria, access to quality education is inaccessible. As a challenge, an educational roadmap to address various challenges across the board.
Speaking on behalf of his Special Assistant on Political Affairs, Mr. Atiku Abubakar, he said: “Promoting inclusion and equity in education means ensuring that all children, regardless of their background or circumstances, have access to a quality education.
“It also means creating a learning environment where all students feel safe, respected, and valued. It means providing students with the support they need to succeed, regardless of their ability. It means that.”
The Director-General of the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Ismail Junaid, called for support to state governments in implementing the legal provisions on inclusion and equity, stating that the school curriculum is the foundation of teaching and learning. said.
He points out that reflecting inclusivity and equity in school curricula will ensure sustainability and growth.
“Achieving inclusion and equity depends on curriculum, infrastructure and teacher capacity,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria’s National Inclusive Education Policy is robust in providing guidelines on these issues. He called for full implementation of the policy in each state.
The three-day conference will foster collaboration and networking among stakeholders in the school education sector, develop recommendations to improve the quality of school education in Nigeria, and support students in schooling in the classroom. They are expected to share effective practice methods.
Source: guardian.ng