Chairman, Lagos State Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King, has pledged to involve special education teachers in the production of distance learning content for special needs children while schools remain closed.
Alawiye spoke during a strategy meeting of the board with heads of its 36 special and inclusive schools, to document what should make up e-learning content for special needs pupils at home.
“What we are doing today is to show our determination to fulfill our mandate to provide inclusive education. We are very pleased to know there are individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations willing to help the government achieve quality. Every child has a right to education,” he said.
Alawiye-King added that the teachers’ input would form the crux of the review of the Lagos State policy on Inclusive Education.
“I did not see any contribution from SUBEB to the Lagos State policy on inclusive education. This document is due for review. Most of the things we are saying from here will form the basis for the review,” he said.
The meeting, held at the SUBEB headquarters in Maryland, also provided an opportunity for the board to get up to date on how the school heads had been communicating with their learners and their parents despite school closures occasioned by the pandemic.
It follows a report by The Nation that detailed the challenges special needs learners and their parents were facing during the long stay at home without education.
Giving a breakdown of the number of special needs children in the five special schools and 31 inclusive units attached to mainstream schools, the head of Special Education Unit at SUBEB, Mrs. Hilda Twins, said there were 2,947 primary level pupils in the schools with 1,326 having an intellectual disability. She said 1,164 have a hearing impairment; 86 with autism; 152 are physically challenged; 80 have Down syndrome; 113 learning disabilities; 22, cerebral palsy, and four battle speech disorders.
Many of the teachers who spoke underscored the need to make content for special needs learners feature more instructional materials, promote learning through play, and used at a slow pace suitable for them.
Mrs. Basirat Aderonke Femi of GRA Inclusive School, Ojota, said some of her pupils complained the sign language interpreter that features on the television classes of the state government was too fast.
Mrs. Olufunmilola Tunji said the special needs children were best taught using the play-away method. “The strategic plan should focus on how to educate those with intellectual disabilities using play away method,” she said.
Mrs. Olufunke Oshodi from Ibeju-Lekki said e-learning content for special needs learners should be interspersed with videos and instructional materials; while Mr. Afolabi Oyebade said the curriculum should be adapted to the learners’ pace.
“Reduce the workload. We have to breakdown the workload of children with intellectual disabilities. What others can learn in one term, it may take them one year. The goal is not to cover with speed but for them to learn,” he said.
Mrs. Anita Asukome said parents played a crucial role in the educational progress of special needs children and needed to be enlightened that their support was crucial; while Mrs. Basirat Fam said distance learning content should be aired when parents would be home to assist their children.
“Some parents, because the economy cannot follow the program. Most fathers leave all care/support of these children to their mothers who also have to hustle to make ends meet. Some will leave the children with grandparents who are not literate. These things need to be addressed,” said Mrs. Asukome.