CCD presents report of findings on assessment of the Implementation of Inclusive Education Policy in Abia State

by Chris Agbo,

Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) on Thursday in Umuahia, Abia State Capital presented report of findings on Assessment of the Implementation of Inclusive Education Policy among Stakeholders in Abia State.

It is one of CCD’s activities under their project on access to Inclusive Education Policy supported Disability Rights Fund (DRF).

The group while presenting the report, they said that the goal of the assessment is to understand the level of awareness of the Inclusive Education Policy among the key stakeholders, identify the barriers impeding proper implementation of Inclusive Education Policy and to proffer suggestions on how to improve access to inclusive education for persons with disabilities in Abia State.

They also said that the assessment which was carried out between November and December, 2020 was conducted in six selected Local Government Areas across the three senatorial districts of Abia State using a combination of qualitative research methods. It entails working with the stakeholders, organizations and groups. The research instruments they used is 32 in-depth interviews, four Key Informant Interviews and 3 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The respondents in the study cut across five clusters of persons with disabilities (Persons with Physical Disabilities, the Blind, The Deaf, Persons with Spinal Cord Injury and Persons with Albinism. They also spoke to schools, teachers, parents and State Ministries such Social Development, Education and Planning, they also interviewed some at Special Education Unit, ASUBEB and Organization of Persons with disabilities.

Some of their key findings are:

• the level of awareness of Inclusive Education Policy among stakeholders such as school principals and teachers was moderately high but it is still very low when compared with the education planners, parents and students.  
• The understanding of stakeholders regarding the policy was largely poor because majority of those interviewed were mistaking the establishment of special schools with separate learning environment to mean inclusive school.
• Currently, there is no State Inclusive Education Policy guideline in any of the schools interviewed in the state and the capacity of stakeholders to implement any of the provisions of the such a document has remained weak.
• About two thirds of interviewed key stakeholders (Parents, teachers, students and planners) were found to have poor perception of what it takes to facilitate Inclusive Education in the State. Many of them categorized students based on their disabilities, and advocated the establishment of more separate/special schools rather than having more of inclusive schools.
• The attitude of majority of stakeholders interviewed towards implementing Inclusive Education Policy was not satisfactory because many were found to be using charity and religious models while responding to the needs of learners with disabilities.
• Finding showed that poor attitudes and perceptions among stakeholders towards Inclusive Education Policy has consequently slowed down progress and it has excluded many children with disabilities from attending public schools with other children without disabilities in the state.
• Abia State Government commitment to Inclusive Education has remained poor as the State government is not accessing Universal Basic funding on Special Education.
• Poor funding (non-release of subventions for the last 10 years to special schools and non-inclusive schools, delayed and non-payment of teacher’s salaries across board) was found to be among major challenges confronting implementation of the National Policy for Inclusion Education in Abia State.

They made some recommendations to address some plethora of challenges hindering the implementation of Inclusive Education Policy in Abia State. They are:

1. Engaging the State legislature to scale up their oversight function on the policy, increase budget allocation for the implementation of Inclusive Education Policy, fast track the domestication of State Disability bill to accelerate the implementation of the policy and inaugurate a standing committee to champion Inclusive Education Rights for learners with disabilities in the State
2. MDAs such as ASUBEB should take adequate steps to access for Federal Government grants on Special Education policy in the State.  Ministry of Education should build their capacity of their staff to know how to respond to academics and psychosocial needs of learners with disabilities. ASUBEB should review and modify schools’ curricula to accommodate needs of learners with disabilities as it is stipulated in the policy. The State Government should ensure teachers’ outstanding salaries are paid to motivate them towards responding to learners with disabilities. Government should encourage PWDs with special awards, , scholarships, logistics assistance for mobility (vehicles, tricycles, wheelchairs etc) and job placements to those who have acquired skills and knowledge. Collaborate other MDAs and philanthropists to procure and distribute Inclusive Education equipment and other learning aids that promote access to Inclusive education. More awareness about the policy is needed in the state through the Ministry of Information.
3. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs should do the following: Roll out aggressive awareness campaign using multi-media and multi-sectorial approaches, intensify the advocacy for the quick passage of the State Disability Law to enhance implementation of Inclusive Education, Collaborate with linen MDAs to track funds released for the Policy implementation in the State and Continuous data generation and share with stakeholders to track success of the policy implementation in the state.
4. Media should support awareness creation and public sensitization about the policy around the state and they should just like CSOs track budget allocated for implementation of the policy

The event was attended by Organizations of Persons with Disabilities with all clusters well represented, Government officials, Stakeholders on Education, CSOs and members of the media. They unanimously adopted the report as a working document to ensure that there would be significant improvement in the implementation of Inclusive Education in the State.