Inclusive Education: Developments in Sub-Saharan Africa (Published)
The engagement of countries within Sub-Saharan Africa in various measures to raise and equalise enrolment of boys and girls in schools demonstrates their commitment to include. However, developments reflect the challenges some national education systems in the region encounter to practice inclusive education. Educators within the region appear to be grappling with the notion of inclusivity and that is having effects on the provisioning of education that is indeed for all primary age children in local community schools within the context. The insistence to preserve existing local cultures and emphasis on competence based curriculum constrains efforts of practitioners to ensure the mainstreaming of presence, participation and achievement of all pupils at school. Some pupils consequently leave school without positive outcomes. Inclusive education as an approach to reposition education for all implies the adoption of curriculum of differentiation to be able to reach out to all pupils, including those who feel dissatisfied with existing school practices as well as those who seem distant in the context.
Keywords: Achievement, Inclusion, Participation, Pupil, presence, sub-Saharan Africa
Diversity and Inclusion in Secondary School Educational Practices in Rivers State, Nigeria (Published)
This article focuses on the place of diversity and inclusion in secondary school educational practices in Rivers State, Nigeria. In the face of advancements in society, Nigeria, a member state of the United Nations at the recent world education forum, held at Incheon, Republic of Korea, adopted the “Education 2030” vision for education. It was translated to the Sustainable Development Goal four (SDG4) and captioned “Towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all”. This calls for an inclusive education packaged for the benefit of all. Hence, there is need to ensure that education becomes free and a right of all Nigerian children, irrespective of distinct characteristics which set them apart from others of same age bracket, such as gender, socioeconomic status, religious affiliations among many. The major issue of diversity and inclusion is one of respect and appreciation of differences which call for the cooperation of all key players.
Keywords: Diversity, Inclusion, educational practices