Festus Fajemilo Foundation, a non-governmental organisation has called on government at all levels and schools to provide facilities that will enable Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, to attain the highest level of education.
Making this call at an advocacy programme which held at St. Joseph school in Agege Lagos, Mr. Afolabi Fajemilo Co-founder and Executive Director, FFF cited the National Disability Act and asked the government to provide facilities to ensure the continuous education of PWDs.
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“We have the National Policy on Inclusive Education 2017, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act which the president signed into law in 2019, and part 5 section 18 of that Act says that children with disabilities shall have unfettered access to education and there must be inclusiveness in all education system,” he explained.
“Government must provide facilities to ensure the continuous education of children with disabilities,” Mr Fajemilo added.
Creating awareness about the various inclusive schools in the state, Mr. Fajemilo tasked students to inform their friends and every other person living with disabilities around them of the 31 primary and 13 secondary schools specially established for the education of learners with disabilities.
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The advocacy program was carried out by the foundation as part of its effort to boost the enrolment of children with disabilities in schools and ensuring they access education regardless of their disabilities.
The Advocacy programme, tagged “We Ring The Bell” is an annual” is an annual activity done by FFF, supported by Liliane Foundation, Netherlands, Leprosy Mission Nigeria, and Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, with the aim of raising awareness about inclusive education in Lagos State.
Regular students were also informed on the need to support their colleagues with disabilities and encourage other parents to enroll their children with disabilities in schools.
On his part, Mr. Isheyemi Adegboye Augustine, the Principal of St. Joseph School, called on the government to make the school and other schools in the state accessible to students with disabilities, saying that the government has major role to play to enhance PWDs access to education.
