…Rolls out landmark inclusive education frameworkBy Joseph Erunke Abuja-In a major push to dismantle barriers preventing children with disabilities from accessing quality education, the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, has unveiled a comprehensive national framework designed to transform inclusive learning across Nigeria’s basic education system. The initiative, unveiled in Abuja yesterday, introduced the National Special and Inclusive Basic Education Minimum Standards, Implementation Guidelines and a Functional Difficulty Early Identification Tool, marking what the commission described as a significant shift towards ensuring that no Nigerian child was denied education because of disability or developmental challenges. Speaking at the national stakeholder engagement on the utilisation of the new instruments, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr.
Aisha Garba, said the reforms were aimed at reversing decades of exclusion that had left thousands of children with disabilities outside the classroom or unable to realise their full academic potential. Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Razak Akinyemi, Garba lamented that despite improvements in school enrollment over the years, children with disabilities continued to face enormous obstacles to accessing, remaining in and benefiting from basic education. She cited findings by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,UNESCO, and the United Nations Children’s Fund,UNICEF, which showed that children with disabilities were significantly less likely to complete basic education due to poor early identification of learning difficulties, inaccessible school environments and inadequate teacher preparation.
To reverse the trend, Garba said UBEC has developed three strategic national instruments that would standardise inclusive education and strengthen support for learners with disabilities nationwide. She explained that the National Special and Inclusive Basic Education Minimum Standards established clear benchmarks covering school governance, accessible infrastructure, teacher competencies, curriculum adaptation, assistive technology, learner assessment, safeguarding and quality assurance. According to her, the standards will ensure greater accountability, uniformity and equity in the delivery of inclusive education across all states.
Garba added that the newly introduc…
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