Education Stakeholders have advocated special monthly allowances for Teachers in inclusive schools in Lagos State to boost their morale and increase their productivity in order to help children with disabilities maximize their learning.
The recommendations were made during a stakeholders’ meeting on funding for girls and children with special needs in Lagos, an event organized by a Non-Governmental Organization, Human Development Initiative (HDI), under its Breaking the Barriers Project.
One of the Stakeholders who is a special education teacher in Oki Inclusive unit in Iyana Ipaja who pleaded anonymity said the special allowance was last paid in 2014.
He pleaded with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to resuscitate the payment of the allowance to encourage them, noting that teaching pupils with learning disabilities demand a lot of encouragement.
Also, the representative of the Nigerian Union of Teachers in Education District two, Comrade Gbenga Agbeniga, called on the Ministry of Education to ensure that Specialists are appointed as head of inclusive schools in the state.
Comrade Agbeniga who noted that only those who wear the shoes know where it pinches stated that specialists would help to drive more impact on the learning needs of students with disabilities.
He advised parents with children with learning and intellectual disabilities not to hide them in their houses but to integrate them into schools to be on par with other students to improve their knowledge.
On his part, the Project Coordinator at HDI, Mr. Samuel Ajayi, appealed to all the education stakeholders as the 4-year project closes, to continually contribute their quota towards enhancing educational opportunities for children with disabilities.