Only 23% of School Care Givers are Aware of the Revised Educational Policy, Says British Council

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Research made available by the British Council has revealed that only 23 percent of school care givers are aware and familiar with the revised educational policy for children of basic education, particularly in the first six years of learning.

The Programme Manager, English and School Education of the British Council, Mr. Jatau John, who revealed this Abuja at the commemoration of the council’s 80th year of collaboration in Nigeria on the theme: ‘Bridging the gap between inclusive education policy and practice’, further disclosed that 40 percent are aware but not familiar; 25 percent are not aware of the existence, while 12 percent are not aware of any policy at all.

In the paper captioned: ‘Inclusion is more than a seat at the table’, he said to change the narrative and get every child on board, particularly children with disabilities and special needs, teachers need to learn skills that will understand inclusive education background, laws and policies, as well as the language of inclusive teaching and learning strategies.

He noted that for school leaders, skills they need to learn include mentoring and coaching, stakeholder management with emphasis on coordination and collaboration, empathy ,management of teachers, students and families, strategies for mentoring and evaluating progress. As well as developing and communicating a vision for inclusive education among others.

According to him, “The level of awareness of the revised policy on inclusive education is abysmally low. Only 23 percent are aware and familiar with the policy while 40 percent are aware but not familiar with it. Subsequently, 25 percent are not aware of the existence of the revised policy while 12 percent are not aware of any plicy at all.

“Teachers need to learn skills that will understand inclusive education background, laws and policies and language inclusive teaching and learning strategies including for children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), assistive device technology, classroom management, multilingual learning, creating inclusive learning materials and understanding children behaviour and emotions as well as developing relationships.

“For school leaders, he said skills they need to learn include mentoring and coaching, stakeholder management, including coordination and collaboration, empathetic, management of teachers, students and families, strategies for mentoring and evaluating progress and leading inclusive and implementable policies as well as developing and communicating a vision for inclusive education.

“In education, practices include teaching methods, classroom management techniques, and assessment strategies. A new policy can influence teaching practices, which in turn can impact school culture. Conversely, cultural norms can shape policy interpretation and implementation.”

He added that globally, one in five children, adolescents and youth, are entirely excluded from education. Nearly 40 percent of children do not have access to education in a language they understand. Children with disabilities continue to be disproportionately excluded from school.