Inclusive Education Setting in Southwestern Nigeria: Myth or Reality?

Abstract

Inclusion can be interpreted as the philosophy and practice for educating students with disabilities in general education settings. Researches from developed and developing countries found that there were problems affecting the inclusive education in Nigeria. Hence, there is need to determine the challenges facing the schools where inclusive education is being implemented, and what could be done to improve the programme. This study identified  the facilities that were available to students with special educational needs in mainstreamed public secondary schools in Southwestern Nigeria; it investigated the difference in the attitude of special and regular teachers to  students with special educational needs in integrated public secondary schools; it determined the influence of  types of exceptionality in  the self-perception of students  with special needs; and   also examined the  difference between the academic performance of male and female students with special educational needs. The results showed that essential facilities and materials like hand railings, hearing aids, Braille, instructional materials, and lower toilets were not available, although the few that were available (typewriters, resource rooms, wheel chairs) were in poor condition. The difference between the attitude of special and regular teachers to students with special educational needs was significant with a t-test value of 1.91 (P<0.05). The influence of students with special educational needs exceptionality types in their self-perception was significant with a Chi-square analysis of 39.75(P<0.05). However, the difference between the academic performance of male and female students with special educational needs was not significant with a t-test value of 1.19 (P>0.05). The study concluded that inclusive education was a reality in Nigeria because it became an educational policy since 1977 that all the states should have inclusive schools for students with special educational needs; and this has been in operation in Nigeria (National Policy of Education,1997 ). Nevertheless, students with special educational needs were yet to be fully integrated into regular classroom setting. This was due to problems affecting inclusion; which could negatively affect their social and academic performance. The school curriculum should be modified to meet specific needs and purpose of educating students with special educational needs. Efforts should be made by government and other stakeholders of education to frequently expose teachers in mainstreamed setting to workshop and seminars on education of students with special educational needs.

Keywords: Inclusive education; integrated schools; mainstreamed schools; students with disabilities; students with special educational needs; inclusion..