A Professor of History and Policy Analysis in Education, Prof Livinus Ogbondah, has called for the full implementation of the National Policy on Education even of the special needs for an achieved inclusive education in the country.
Ogbondah made the call while delivering the 29th Inaugural Lecture of the IgnatiusAjuru University of Education (IAUOE), entitled”Systemic Dysfunctionalities In Nigeria’s Education System: Which Way Nigeria?, at the University’s Main Campus, Rumuolumeni, PortHarcourt, Thursday.
Ogbondah noted that special education was a customised educational programme designed to meet the unique needs of persons with special needs that the general education programme cannot cater for, adding that these persons are provided with inclusive education services in schools which normal persons attend, in appropriate general education classes directly supervised by general teachers.
He said that the inclusive education , a concept, developed by the United Nations Education……provides for the teaching of all children in regular schools not just those with disabilities as well as allowing them the opportunity to fully participate in regular classroom activities regardless of disability,race or other characteristics.
While noting that efforts have been made by governments to establish special schools corresponding and identifiable with the nature of handicapping conditions, Ogbondah said however, that more work needed to be done considering the number of physically challenged children/individuals in the country.
The education expert averred that every society of the world, including Nigeria, has individuals with high level of intelligence – of cogitation, reasonability, ability, capabilities and capacities, maintaining that a deliberate inclusive form of education be established for not just the  educational but technological development of the nation.
 Regretting that Nigeria has only one gifted and talented school, located in Niger State, Ogbondah stated that the number would not suffice in the quest to harness the potentials of the children.
“It is of course intelligence that is used for making technological advances, building new machines, discoveries and space stations. It is intelligence collectively deployed and utilised that will determine if society will advance, stagnate, decline or extinct. The gifted and talented education in Nigeria need to be accorded a pride of place for technological development and advancement of the nation, Nigeria”, he said.
Ogbondah said”, unfortunately, Nigeria has only one gifted and talented school in Niger State, known as Sulejah Academy for secondary school level. How can Nigeria with her teeming population have only one gifted and talented school for the country? Definitely, it will be difficult to harness the potentials of these special children”.
Describing the situation among myriads of challenges in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels as dysfunctionalities in the nation’s education system, the Don said, the Nigerian education system is a time bomb, ready to explode, if conscious efforts are not made to revitalise, resuscitate, remodel, revamp, rehabilitate, revive, renovate, rebrand, review and more importantly ensure full implementation of the National Policy on Education”.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu