BY ODILI CHRISTEL
As Nigeria joins other former British colonists and protectorates to celebrate commonwealth day, county’s Education Minister,
Mallam Adamu Adamu has used the occasion to announce the commitment of the government to ensure that citizens have access to governance and inclusive education.
The Minister also used the celebration to outline other activities to improve socio-economic and national stability.
Mallam Adamu addressing the theme of Commonwealth day for 2016, “An inclusive Commonwealth”, noted that the commonwealth charter declares that everyone is equal and deserves to be treated fairly, whether they are rich or poor, without regards to their race, age, gender, belief or other identity, every one of them is different and unique and has something special to offer to our world.
Adamu declared that the Nigerian government as a committed member of the commonwealth of nation, is determined to strengthen provision of quality education at all levels to its citizens. He reiterated the commitment of the government to pursue and achieve the six important goals EfA (Education for All), Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act.
“We are committed to implementing and achieving the 16 sustainable Developments Goals (SDG’s), especially SDG 4 and its ten strategic targets, which have direct bearing on the education of child and vulnerable, including persons with special needs, we are committed to creating a safe environment for teaching and learning throughout the entire education landscape-formal and non-formal public and private, from pre-school up to tertiary level.
“In pursing inclusive education, government has already put in place a number of strategies to ensure the attainment of the goals and within the expected timeline, some of the strategies include: launching of a national campaign on access and the need to boost enrolment; institutionalization of early childhood are development education; promoting girl-child education; improving adult and youth literacy enrolment by 50%, accelerating and consolidating the nomadic education program amongst others”.
Adamu promised that the Federal Government would leave no stone unturned to implement the 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal 4, which has direct bearing on the education of the child and the vulnerable, including persons with special needs.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, while giving his remarks noted that the theme is very apt and have been chosen with utmost care by the head of the commonwealth Queen Elizabeth the 2nd in recognition of the need of inclusiveness in governance among and within member nations in the political economic and social activity.
He stated that it reflects the actus of the commonwealth of an association of nations with similar political history and diverse cultures and traditions and at various levels of economic and political development yet they associate together with the view of assisting each other to achieve higher levels of integration, learning and development, therefore the common wealth inception has pursued the virtues of inclusiveness in its relationships with member nations through various programmes including the yearly observance of the commonwealth day.
He explained that, “Inclusiveness in this aspect connotes observance of segregation, alienation, discrimination, inequality, inequity and fairness, injustice, marginalization, biased, unfriendliness, isolation, separation, integration, it is an approach which recognizes the rights of individuals to participate in political process economic activities access to education employment process devoid of discriminations based on region or ethnicity”.
“The adoption of inclusive governance promotes unity, peace, and economic prosperity in any nation if properly harnessed, there is no better time in our nation building and in the world that this development paradigm is required more than now considering the rising tides of conflicts, youth restiveness, ethnocentric agitations drug abuse and addiction, poverty and hunger cutting across nations”.
“The Commonwealth of Nations can only grow when the culture of inclusiveness is imbibed into the economic, political and social fabrics of member countries, the need for inclusiveness in education cannot be over-emphasized, when children with and without disabilities participate and learn together in the same class and when barriers to learning are eliminated to grant access to those who otherwise would have been excluded through marginalization, and segregation inclusive process have been entrenched”.
He noted that, Inclusive education is one of the priority programs of the present administration of Mr. President the administration has demonstrated commitment to the realization of the objective through increased funding of the school feeding program especially for the federal government colleges and setting up of implementation strategy aimed at achieving such results. The administration has also proposed mass recruitment of 500, 000 teachers these effort will not only create good school environment, it will help to meet the needs of the disadvantaged and special needs children as more teachers with diverse specializations will be made available to schools.
“The benefits of inclusive education are invaluable and far surpasses the challenges and course associated with it. Let us join forces to entrench inclusiveness in our families, institutions, communities, religious bodies, economic activities and social institutions as a nation to achieve, unity, peace and economic prosperity”, he said.
Also, The permanent secretary of the ministry of education spoke on the theme of this year’s celebration which is inclusive commonwealth recognizes the richness and diversity of commonwealth citizens and helps to guide governments, schools, community groups and individuals in planning events and activities lined up to commemorate the commonwealth day.
She explained that the commonwealth chapter sets out the sixteen cultural values and principles which have been defined and strengthen at different stages throughout the commonwealth history it upholds and reaffirms the commonwealth commitment to tenets of democracy, Human rights, peace and security, good governance, protecting the environment, providing access to health, education, food shelter gender equality, recognizing the needs of small and vulnerable states and the very important role of civil society for the people in the common wealth.
In her words,”In its determination to achieve universal basic education as well as to eliminate gender disparities achieved gender equality in education and ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met. The federal government in Nigeria through the ministry of education is expanding and improving early childhood care and education, in addition to ensuring that all children especially the most vulnerable particularly girls and the disadvantaged have access to quality education”.
“As we mark this commonwealth day let us resolve to work together with the government in order to move our nation forward regardless of our diversities let us as a family help every child kin Nigeria to realize his or her undeniable rights to quality education so as to ensure sustainable growth and development of our dear country”, she said.