Background to the Study
Education liberates, raises class status regardless of one‟s family or home background. It makes someone economically buoyant, politically upgraded and socially adjusted. Education also is a tool for national development for every nation. However, the plight of the number of people living with disabilities is increasing especially in the developing countries. This is because high level of malnutrition, diseases, accident, crises and ignorance are persistent in developing countries. Nevertheless, it is obvious that disabilities exist throughout the world without respect for nationality, ethnicity, races, social status or cultural boundary. (Lere, 2007). In Nigeria today, and elsewhere in the world, there are large numbers of children and adult who differ so markedly in mental, physical, emotional, sensory or behaviour characteristics from their normal peers as to require special help in realizing their optimum potentials. This has taken the form of provision to serve persons living with disability in regular classes of the school or provide instructions appropriate to their abilities if that served their needs more effectively. Policies and programmes in special education close tie with the existence of man from time immemorial, cultural and religious beliefs are the current trends in the contemporary society. Historically, the roots of the field of special education and programme implementation could be traced to the beginning of human existence. They could be traced to the primitive time when human beings first became aware of those 15 whose appearance and behaviour differed significantly from what was typical of the majority. Those who were different were destroyed, tortured, exorcised, sterilized, ignored, exiled, and even considered divine. (Hewelt as cited in Lere, 2007). According to him, over the years, they have been pitied and cared for and given the benefit of education, they had to cope with survival in the world where the harshness of both nature and those around them threatened their very existence. By the estimation of people living with disability, there are about 600 million people with disabilities worldwide and two third of them live in developing countries, including Nigeria. According to the world benchmark, 10% of a country‟s population has disabilities. Based on Nigeria‟s current estimated population of 140 million, 14 million people have disabilities. (Quteng as cited in Lere, 2007, National Population Commission, 2006). The declaration on the human rights of disabled persons by United Nations General Assembly made persons living with disabilities become functional, acceptable, and respectful as members of the society. Among the declaration on the right of disabled persons by the United Nations in year 1975 are; (1) The term person living with disability means any person unable to ensure by himself or herself wholly or partly the necessities of a normal individual and/or social life as a result of a deficiency either congenital or not in his or her physical or mental capacities. (2) Persons living with disability shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this declaration. This right shall be granted to all disabled persons without distinction or discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or 16 other opinions, national or social origin, state of wealth, birth or any other situation applied either to the disabled person himself or herself or to his or her family. (3) Persons living with disability have the right to medical, psychological and functional treatment including, prosthetic and orthotic appliances, to medical and social rehabilitation, education and vocational education, training and rehabilitation and, counseling, placement services and other services which enable them to develop their capabilities and skills to the maximum and hasten the process of their social integration or reintegration. (4) Persons living with disability have the right to economic and social security to their capabilities to ensure and retain employment or to engage in useful, productive and remunerative occupations and to join trade unions. (5) Persons living with disability shall be protected against all forms of exploitation, all regulations and all treatment of a discriminatory, abusive or degrading nature. The World Conference on Special Needs Education and network for action in access and quality, Salamanca, Spain 7 – 10 June, 1994, asserted that; 1. Every child has basic right to education. 2. Every child has unique characteristics, interest, abilities and learning needs. 3. Education services should take into account those diverse characteristics and needs. 4. The person with special needs must have access to regular schools. 5. Regular schools with an inclusion ethos are the most effective way to combat discriminatory attitudes, create welcoming and inclusive communities and achieve Education for All (EFA). 17 6. Federal, state and local governments shall fund these programmes within their area of jurisdiction. 7. Architectural designs of school buildings shall take into account the special needs of the handicapped. There was earliest evidence available on legislation in Nigeria for provision of special education to persons with special needs. According to Brooke as cited in Lere and Yakwal, (2005) “education ordinance” which states that grants may be paid to local authority or an approved voluntary agency for among others, provide special education purpose which may come from time to time regarded as calling Financial Support. Additionally, the Lagos Education Act of 1957 was also devoted to special education. Article 61 of the Act clearly calls for provision for children requiring special needs education. Besides, the law of Northern Nigeria (Education Law NN43) gave Authority to the Minister to provide special schools for handicapped children to ensure an adequate supply of trained teachers by providing sufficient fund for their training. Again, the education law of western Nigeria cap 34 (1962) was enacted.
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