The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Aisha Garba, has unveiled three key national instruments aimed at strengthening inclusive and special education in Nigeria’s basic education system, with a renewed commitment to ensuring that no child is denied access to quality education because of disability or functional challenges.
Speaking at the National Stakeholder Engagement on the Utilization of the National Special and Inclusive Basic Education Minimum Standards, Implementation Guidelines and Functional Difficulty Early Identification Tool in Abuja, Garba said the initiative marks a significant step towards improving state capacity for the effective implementation of inclusive education nationwide.
Represented by the Deputy Executive Technical, Dr Rasaq Akinyemi, the UBEC boss noted that despite improvements in school enrolment over the years, children with disabilities continue to face barriers to enrolment, participation, progression and learning outcomes.
Citing findings by UNESCO and UNICEF, Garba said inadequate early identification of disabilities, inaccessible learning environments and insufficient teacher preparedness remain major obstacles to inclusive education, making practical implementation of policies more urgent than ever.
The UBEC Executive Secretary announced the introduction of three national frameworks to strengthen inclusive basic education across Nigeria, stressing that their success will depend not merely on the availability of standards and guidelines, but on strong institutional capacity, coordinated implementation and continuous monitoring at all levels.
Earlier, the Acting Director, Special Programmes and Early Childhood, Dr. Chijioke Onwuzurike and other speakers described the training as a strategic intervention aimed at bridging the gap between inclusive education policies and implementation at the state and school levels
Track up
The 2 day capacity building workshop for Directors of Special Programmes and Special Education was attended by Desk Officers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to strengthen the implementation of inclusive and special education across Nigeria.
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