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Disability: No child in Nigeria must be left behind!

 

BY FISAYO ARANSIOLA-FAKAYODE

As we commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities,
the Nigerian Government must ensure that the rights of persons with
disabilities are better respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled.
It is estimated that no fewer than 25 million people are living with
disabilities in Nigeria. This includes millions of children who daily
face discrimination and in some cases abuse due to their disability.
Earlier in the year, there was the case of seven year-old Imran Kanun
Muhammad which was widely reported in the media. As a child with a
disability, Imran allegedly suffered sexual violence and inhuman
treatment at the School for the Deaf, Kuje, FCT. He was withdrawn from
the school by his parents and the case is currently the subject of a
criminal action. However, as a result, for several months Imran had no
access to any education as most government schools did not have the
capacity to accommodate him, some were unwilling. This is despite the
fact that all children have the right to an education in Nigeria which
the government is legally bound to implement. While his peers were in
school, Imran was at home. Eventually Imran was able to attend another
school. However, his mother pays N50,000 from her income every month
for special education teachers to tutor him. Sadly, such a case is not
an isolated incident. Some months ago, there were allegations of rape
of female students in the School for the Blind, Utako, Abuja. This led
to the suspension of two teachers by the Federal Capital Territory
Administration. In another case, the dilapidated state of the Kwara
State School for Special Needs at Apata Yakuba, Ilorin was recently
uncovered by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and he made commitments
to improve the conditions in the school. Incidences such as these give
credence to the fact that children with disabilities continue to face
discrimination, neglect and in many cases abuse and violence which not
only amounts to criminality but also violates their fundamental rights
including despite the Sustainable Development Goal 4 to ensure equal
access to all levels of education and vocational training for the
vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, which Nigeria has
signed up to achieve. These barriers include lack of access to
mainstream schools, the high cost of education designed to meet their
particular needs, physical inaccessibility, negative attitudes and
stereotypes. Often, these barriers will intersect with a cumulative
impact on the child. More broadly, entrenched inequalities persist
within the educational system that impact on children with
disabilities: inadequate teaching materials and assistive devices,
violence in schools, lack of an inclusive curriculum, poor welfare of
students, untrained teachers and deficient teaching methodology.
Sadly, these inequalities do not end in schools; people with
disabilities also face discrimination in seeking employment.
In Nigeria, the educational model mostly practised is segregation,
where children with disabilities are educated at special schools.
Segregation can often reinforce discrimination against children with
disabilities, excludes them from socialisation in a diverse society
and makes them vulnerable to a range of human rights abuses. In line
with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, inclusive
education should be the goal of the Nigerian government. Inclusive
education provides an avenue for mainstream schools to accommodate all
children, regardless of disability with sufficient and appropriate
assistance and support. Children with or without disabilities can
learn, play and interact at the same level and in a diverse
environment. At the same time children without disabilities can
appreciate the need to treat their peers living with disabilities with
dignity and understanding. Although the government has some margin of
appreciation as to how it implements inclusive education, it must
ensure reasonable accommodation for the individual needs of the child,
provide suitable curriculum and appropriate training for teachers and
staff who work with children.
Every child has the right to education, a right which is essential for
the exercise of all other human rights. Both national and
international laws guarantee the right to education for all without
discrimination. The recently passed Discrimination Against Persons
with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 provides that a person with
disability shall have an unfettered right to education without
discrimination or segregation in any form. It further stipulates that
all public educational establishments shall be run to be inclusive of
and accessible to persons with disabilities. In 2015,  adopted the
National Policy on Special Needs Education. Additionally, the Child
Rights Act outlines that every child has the right to free, compulsory
and basic education and it shall be the duty of the Government in
Nigeria to provide such education. Yet clearly Nigeria is breaching
its own laws as well as its international commitments.
Internationally, Nigeria has made a significant commitment to the
right to education for children with disabilities by ratifying the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
Convention on the Rights of the Child and International Covenant on
Economic Social and Cultural Rights. All these international
instruments place an obligation on Nigeria to ensure that children
with disabilities enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which
ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child’s
active participation in the community. Despite these national and
international laws and standards, many children with disabilities
remain excluded from the educational system. For some of those within
the educational system, they continue to face various forms of
violence and disability-based discrimination.
As we commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities,
the Nigerian Government must ensure that the rights of persons with
disabilities are better respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled.
While the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with
Disabilities (Prohibition) Act is a move in the right direction, all
state governments must expeditiously domesticate the Act. At the same
time the government must ensure the effective enforcement and
implementation of the Act across the country. Quality and inclusive
education for children with disabilities is a human right and not a
mere charitable act. In the words of John F. Kennedy, our progress as
a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human
mind is our fundamental resource. No child must be left behind!
Aransiola-Fakayode, is an Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Researcher at Amnesty International Nigeria.

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