BENIN CITY – The Network for the Advancement of Persons With Visible Disabilities (NAPVID) said distance and poverty negatively affect the enrollment of children with disabilities in educational institutions in Edo state.

NAPVID executive director, Melody Omosah disclosed this on Thursday in Benin City at the HELP Project first quarterly stakeholders roundtable on inclusive education called for

Omosah disclosed that preliminary findings from a needs assessment conducted by NAPVID in June across six special schools in the state revealed that none of them have hostel accommodation for pupils and students.

Omosah who lauded the developmental strides of governor Godwin Obaseki in the educational sector maintained that special schools in the state have inadequate staff and specialists to serve the students population.

According to him, the exclusion of children with disabilities from school has an adverse economic impact on the family, community and the nation at large.

The keynote speaker, prof Julius Ademokoya of the University of Ibadan said special education is capital intensive, hence the state government must be willing to fund it adequately to reap expected results of inclusiveness.

Prof Ademokoya harp on the need for legal backing, involvement and the engagement of relevant stakeholders of inclusive education in the state to making the programme sustainable.

Also, state’s head of service, Anthony Okungbowa said inclusiveness remove barriers and foster societies as everyone is carried along.

Okungbowa, represented by the director of investment and revenue, ministry of finance, Emofonmwan Akhere added that inclusive education develop and maximise learning competencies of learners with special needs to making them useful to the society.

High points to the event was a panel discussion on the theme of the programme, “Charting a future for children with disabilities: The place of inclusive and sustainable special education.”, with Joan Oviawe, executive chairman of SUBEB in the state as lead discussant.