In its efforts towards fulfilling its pledge of ensuring all inclusive education, the Sokoto
State Government has recruited qualified special teachers to enhance the school system.
The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, made this known on Friday in Sokoto, when he received members of “Education for All Cluster”, an educational drive supported by the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) and Palladium consortium.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the project is tagged “USAID-Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE), in Sokoto State.
Alkali described the advocacy visit by the group as a wakeup call, and recognition of the importance of inclusive education system to citizens.
He said the ministry would constitute a technical committee to ensure inclusive education system in all schools, and fine-tune modalities for establishment of more special schools and recruitment of qualified teachers for that.
According to him, all people are equal, irrespective of ethnicity and religious differences, stressing that physically challenged persons possess potentialities of living as normal persons.
He noted that henceforth all educational and administrative structures would be built to suit the needs of persons living with disabilities.
“We shall be providing ramps for easy passages, in classes, toilets and other structures in our schools, provide bikes for blind students and other relevant educational materials.
“The committee will also study inclusive education policy, programmes and ways on how other states implement the strategies,” he said.
The Commissioner commended USAID, the Palladium and the six cluster organisations, over their support for
education in the state.
Earlier, Leader of the Cluster, Malam Abdu Yusuf, said the visit was part of advocacy visits soliciting support and cooperation for right implementation of inclusive education system and gender policy in the state.
Yusuf explained that stakeholders’ support, especially the Ministry of Basic Education, as well as other agencies, was crucial to the success of the project, adding that six clusters were engaged in the exercise in Sokoto State.
NAN reports that the Cluster had earlier conducted similar advocacy visits to the Sokoto State Agency for Mass Education, the Female Education Board, Arabic and Islamic Education Board, Office of the Special Adviser to Persons Living with Disabilities, and JONAPWD.
During the visits, the heads of the agencies assured the organisations of their maximum support to ensure the successful implementation of gender policy and inclusive education system.
The agencies’ heads comprised of the Special Adviser to the governor on Disability, Alhaji Aliyu Umar, Director Administration of Mass Education, Alhaji Usman Ali, Female Education Board, Prof. Mustapha Namakka and Arabic Education Board, Ahmad Baba-Altine. (NAN)
By Habibu Harisu