Gabriela Ezin, Calabar
Cross River State has taken steps to institutionalise inclusive education with the commencement of a stakeholder-driven process to domesticate the National Policy on Inclusive Education, aimed at expanding access to learning opportunities for children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
The initiative, championed by the State Ministry of Education and the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), received backing from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Federal Ministry of Education and other development partners during a three-day workshop in Calabar.
Speaking at the event, UNICEF Education Specialist, Believe Eke, said the exercise was designed to help the state translate the national policy into a practical framework that reflects local realities and addresses barriers preventing many children from accessing quality education.
According to him, despite the existence of a national policy, many states are yet to formally adapt and implement it, leaving gaps in infrastructure, teacher preparedness, learning materials and support systems needed for inclusive learning.
Eke stressed that inclusive education goes beyond providing access to schools, noting that it requires creating a system where every learner, regardless of disability, gender or social background, can participate meaningfully and achieve their full potential.
He described inclusion as a development imperative capable of improving learning outcomes, fostering social cohesion and promoting equity within communities.
Representing the Director of Basic Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, Edith Uchenna commended Cross River for embracing the policy adaptation process, describing it as a strategic move towards ensuring equal educational opportunities for all children.
She urged stakeholders to sustain collaboration and commitment throughout the implementation stage, emphasizing that government institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and communities all have roles to play in removing barriers to education.
Executive Chairman of Cross River SUBEB, Fidelia Okpo Ene, said the workshop represented a major milestone in the state’s quest to build an education system that accommodates learners with diverse needs.
She noted that successful implementation would require deliberate policies, teacher capacity development, improved infrastructure, provision of appropriate learning resources and active participation of parents and communities.
Ene described education as a powerful tool for social transformation, adding that its benefits can only be fully realised when every child is given an equal opportunity to learn.
She encouraged participants to leverage the workshop to develop practical recommendations and strategies that would facilitate effective implementation of inclusive education across schools in the state.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Education, Senator Stephen Odey, reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Bassey Otu’s administration to policies that promote access, equity and quality in education, noting that the government would continue to support initiatives aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children.
Odey assured development partners of the state’s readiness to work collaboratively in advancing inclusive education, stressing that every programme capable of improving learning outcomes and securing a better future for children in Cross River would receive the government’s support.
