Christ the Light Special Mission for the Deaf, a non-profit centre for deaf education, has urged the Federal Government and state governments across the country to address the challenges of students with special needs in Nigeria for sustainable inclusivity, noting that special education needs greater attention in the country.
The proprietor, Pastor Samuel Apeh, made the call at the weekend in Lagos while speaking at the mission’s graduation ceremony for the the Class of 2024 and the end of the 2023–2024 academic session.
According to him, there has been a disparity in access to quality education between children without disabilities and individuals with disabilities, pointing out that educational services designed to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities have not received the expected attention from well-meaning Nigerians, corporate organisations, and the government.
Apeh stressed that the aim of special education is to provide these individuals with the necessary support to achieve their full potential academically, socially, and personally, but sadly noted that the resources and infrastructure dedicated to special education often fell short of what was needed for these children to achieve their full potential.
He argued that both the government at the federal and state levels as well as the people must show more passion and commitment if the country is to achieve the much-desired inclusivity and give hope to students with special needs.
“The aim of special education is to provide these individuals with the necessary support to achieve their full potential academically, socially, and personally.
“The resources and infrastructure dedicated to special education often fall short of what is needed for these children to achieve their full potential.
“If we must achieve the much-desired inclusivity and give hope to students with special needs, the government and the people must show more passion and commitment,” he said.
Apeh, who runs the educational centre for the hearing impaired with his wife, Oluwatoyin, said that the passion to improve the lives of children with such conditions motivated them to found the mission in 2000.
He said that the mission, as a non-profit organisation, provided opportunities for formal elementary and foundational as well as secondary education, saying that many special children, who had graduated from the centre’s primary school and got admission to secondary schools and universities, were doing very well in their various fields.
Applauding the academic capabilities of some of the special students, Apeh said that none of the mission’s students had ever failed any of the common entrance examinations at both the state and federal levels.
“Some of them are even in model schools by merit in their examination and other conventional schools without any malpractices. They deserve more from us.
“Ours is an NGO with a vision to impact the lives of special children to bring out the best in them despite their challenges, and we are committed to doing this.
“There has been no funding from international organisations; the government has been of little help, but more is required from them to sustain the school, more importantly with the current economic situation,” the proprietor said.
Speaking further, Apeh expressed his appreciation to various individuals who had been of great help to the school in terms of food supply and other philanthropic contributions, imploring the parents to be part of the completion of the ongoing school-building project to accommodate more pupils and students.
Apeh recalled that the mission kicked off secondary education in 2023 after successfully running primary education for the special children for years, saying that the students needed a befitting classroom and hostels to bring out the best in them in order to contribute their quota for the development of the nation.
Also speaking, Mrs Apeh equally affirmed that there was a significant gap in providing inclusive education for students with disabilities in Nigeria, saying that there was nothing that the able-bodied could do that children with disabilities could not do with their training.
According to her, they can equally hear, respond, and use their fingers to communicate even faster than the able-bodied, assuring that the mission does not only impact formal education but also morals through the word of God, as well as vocational skills with practical application by professionals “for them to be self-reliant.”
The proprietor of St. Gladys Private School and Grimes International College and a philanthropist, Mrs. Gladys George, in her remark, assured of her readiness to continue to help children with such challenges, whom she noted many of their parents had given up on.
“In some cases, many of their parents have given up on them. So, helping them to develop their potential and bring out the best in them is what gives me much joy,” George said.
Another speaker, Mrs. Ademosun Olusola, proprietor of Kansol School, applauded the centre for helping to make society better, saying that she was impressed by the performance of the children both in academics and morals.
Earlier, Pastor Olugbenga James, the Chairman of the occasion, who admonished the students, said there was something giant in them that was designed to make them great, urging them not to look down on themselves but rather to be confident enough to compete with others.
“There is something giant in you that is designed to make you great. Do not look down on yourself but rather be confident to compete with others, he charged.
One of the parents and widows, Mrs Onyemere Sorochi, also lauded the school management for standing up to help families with special children, declaring that the centre had relieved her of the challenges she had faced.
Another parent, Mrs Nosimot Oyetungase Nosimot, who has two children in the school, commended the proprietor of the centre and his wife, Mr and Mrs Apeh for volunteering to bring out the best in the children, not minding their challenges
The event featured drama, Bible recitations, and professional displays of vocational skills, among others.
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