Policy Framework for Inclusive Education in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

This paper explored the policy framework for inclusive education in Nigeria. The proper approach towards educating persons with special needs has been a subject of academic debate in contemporary times. Inclusive education is an approach to educating students with special educational needs. Under the inclusive model, students with special needs spend most or all their time with non-disabled students. It is a break away from the old norm of segregating persons with special needs in a special school setting. Notable policy documents on inclusion in Nigeria include the 1977 National Policy on Education; Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989; Child’s Rights Act, Laws of the Federation 2004; the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act 2004; and the National Policy on Education (2008). The paper observed that for the inclusion policy to be successful, issues that must be addressed include the role of parents in the inclusion process, continuous review of policy, research, and educational resources. The paper identified the cost of running an inclusive school, societal attitude, accessibility, educational modifications, and cooperation among special and general teachers as main challenges confronting the success of inclusive education in Nigeria. The paper concluded that the task of including the needs of students with disabilities, and those of their families, in any national policy on education is important and carries life-long implications and the Universal Basic Education Act 2004 provides a legal backing for a claim to inclusion.

Keywords: Inclusive, education, policy, Nigeria, issues, challenges.