Group Wants Inclusive Education For Children With Special Needs In Taraba

 

Parents, Educators and Caregivers in Taraba State have been charged to imbibe inclusive education as a tool of effective learning with special attention on cerebral palsy and special needs .

 

Convener and Chief executive officer Marben Foundation Dorcas Elisha said this during a training centers on reawakening new teaching methods especially inclusion as Parents, Educators and Caregivers in Jalingo have been charged to imbibe inclusive education as a tool of effective learning with special attention on cerebral palsy and special needs .

 

 

The training held at the Faculty of Education, Taraba State University Jalingo with theme :Inclusive education: The mainstreaming of Children with Cerebral Palsy had parents,teachers of all education groups ,and caregivers in attendance. 

 

Mrs Dorcas Elisha called on teachers to be more diligent on their work in order to promote inclusive education in the society. 

 

She stressed that inclusive education is when a school educates all children, regardless of background, attainment level or special educational needs.

"It means that children with additional learning needs and special educational requirements are educated within a 'mainstream' learning environment, rather than a specialist school."

 

 

Lead trainer from the Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn Foundation Tobilola Ajayi on her part highlighted various points on inclusive education using herself as an example she stated that she is a survivor hence the possibility of every child to have an education irrespective of ability or disability.

Presenting a paper on a topic, 'Inclusive Education: The Mainstreaming of Children With Cerebral Palsy', via Zoom, Ms. Tobiloba Ajayi described the cerebral palsy as a situation or abnormalities found in small children who happens to be caused during pregnancy, delivery or after three months of delivery.

She further stated the importance of giving these children an inclusive education on how to address stigmatization, bullying, any other forms of segregation from their classmates.

 

 

Training teachers on how to give these children necessary attention, Tobiloba Ajayi said  several inclusion requirements needed at schools for inclusive culture are clear inclusion policy,  architecturally accessible buildings ,medical report by a Neuro developmental pediatrician for less than six months and always call a doctor for authentication on the part of health.

 

Representative of the Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Sarah Ali, Forum of Education secretaries, teachers, parents and head of teachers, principals, as well as NGOs in an interview with some of the participants, they said that the workshop has impacted and enlightened them on how to deal with children with cerebral palsy, promising to make use of the knowledge when they return to their schools.

 

 

President Rotary Club of Jalingo City Mr Godfrey Tafida  said, the essence of the workshop is to equip the teachers on how to include the cerebral palsy children, with normal children to learn together.

He added that, this is their way of contributing their quota to the implementation of the free, basic education policy in Taraba State.

He further called on parents to give special attention to cerebral palsy children by enrolling the children in conventional schools. 

 

Gloria Manasseh Luka is a broadcast journalist based in Jalingo.