Sokoto govt. recruits special education teachers

In its efforts to fulfil its pledge of ensuring inclusive education, the Sokoto State Government has recruited qualified special teachers to enhance the school system.

The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, made this known on Friday in Sokoto when he received members of “Education for All Cluster,"  an educational drive supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Palladium Consortium.

Supreme News reports that the project is tagged “USAID-Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE), in Sokoto State.

Alkali described the advocacy visit by the group as a wakeup call and a recognition of the importance of an inclusive education system to citizens.

He said the ministry would constitute a technical committee to ensure an inclusive education system in all schools and fine-tune modalities for the establishment of more special schools and the recruitment of qualified teachers for that.

According to him, all people are equal, irrespective of ethnicity and religious differences, stressing that physically challenged persons possess the potential to live as normal persons.

He noted that henceforth all educational and administrative structures would be built to suit the needs of persons living with disabilities.

“We shall be providing ramps for easy passage in classes, toilets and other structures in our schools; provide bikes for blind students; and other relevant educational materials.

“The committee will also study inclusive education policy, programmes and ways in which other states implement the strategies,” he said.

The Commissioner commended USAID, the Palladium, and the six cluster organisations for their support for education in the state.

Earlier, the leader of the cluster, Malam Abdu Yusuf, said the visit was part of advocacy visits soliciting support and cooperation for the right implementation of the inclusive education system and gender policy in the state.

Yusuf explained that stakeholders’ support, especially the Ministry of Basic Education as well as other agencies, was crucial to the success of the project, adding that six clusters were engaged in the exercise in Sokoto State.

Supreme News reports that the Cluster had earlier conducted similar advocacy visits to the Sokoto State Agency for Mass Education, the Female Education Board, Arabic and Islamic Education Board, Office of the Special Adviser to Persons Living with Disabilities, and JONAPWD.

During the visits, the heads of the agencies assured the organisations of their maximum support to ensure the successful implementation of gender policy and an inclusive education system.

The agencies’ heads are comprised of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Disability, Alhaji Aliyu Umar; Director Administration of Mass Education, Alhaji Usman Ali; Female Education Board, Prof. Mustapha Namakka; and Arabic Education Board, Ahmad Baba-Altine.