By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government on Wednesday assured physically challenged persons of its commitment toward ensuring inclusive and equitable access to quality education in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Malam Ja’afaru Sani, gave the assurance when he visited Demonstration School for Deaf Children (DSDC), Kawo and the state’s Special Education School, Independence Way, Kaduna.
Sani said that the ministry would ensure that no one was left behind in the government efforts to provide inclusive and quality eduction to all.
He added that special schools for special children in the state would receive special attention in terms of basic infrastructure, teaching materials and quality teachers because of their peculiar nature and needs.
He explains that he visited the schools to assess the state of facilities and see how teaching and learning was taking place.
According to him, the measure was part of the larger package of equipping public schools to effectively serve the interest of the public.
“I am particularly impress with what I saw in DSDC, being a privately owned school in terms of facilities, teaching aids and teaching methods.
“In fact, we will send teachers from the state’s special school to understudy the teaching methodology being applied in DSDC which I found very remarkable.”
The commissioner pledged to give such schools all the necessary support to ensure that every child, including the physically challenged have access to quality education.
Earlier, DSDC Principal, Mrs Victoria Adesina, explained that the school with about 120 pupils and students was established in 1987 to address the educational need of young deaf children at an early age.
Adesina added, “The school is a non profit institution with 14 teachers, out of which nine are deaf and school fees charged to parents cover less than 10 per cent cost of educating each child.
“Also, since establishment, DSDC has relied solely on donations from individuals, businesses, Kaduna State Government and non governmental organisations to meet it running cost.
“We, therefore, solicit the support of the Kaduna state government, particularly to enable us pay the salaries of our teachers as at when due and maintain the school facilities.”
Similarly, a member of the school board, Mohammed Usman, appealed to the state government to take over payment of salaries of some of the teachers to reduced the burden of funding challenge.
Usman, who is a former commissioner for education in the state and currently a Member representing Makarfi/Kudan constituency in the State Assembly thanked the commissioner for promising to look into some of the school challenges.
