On a bustling Monday morning, just past eleven, the village of Ifiayong in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was alive with the rhythm of daily life. Workers had scattered to their jobs, and the laughter of children echoed from nearby schools, filling the air with youthful energy.
Amidst this vibrant scene, Gina, a ten-year-old girl, was spotted dressed in soft baby pink clothing that fluttered gently in the breeze. She perched on a weathered wooden bench outside her mother’s modest one-room home.
Gina’s gaze was fixed intently on a nearby local kitchen; her head tilted slightly, as if she were lost in her little world.
From the findings, this reporter gathered that Gina has cerebral palsy and often drools due to her condition. She is unable to speak and relies entirely on her mother’s care and devotion.
As a result of her condition, Gina’s parents were compelled to withdraw her from a private institution in Nsukara village, Uyo Local Government Area, because the other parents were uncomfortable with Gina sharing a classroom with their children.
Now, Gina’s mother, Victoria Essien, a petty trader, is burdened with the responsibility of providing for her four children alone, as Gina’s father has abandoned them and no longer contributes to their support.
During an interview, Essien revealed that she struggles to afford the daily transportation costs to take Gina to the Mbiabong Etoi Inclusive Centre in Uyo. As a result of these financial difficulties, Gina has been out of school for over a year.
Tragically, Essien stated that young Gina is often left home alone while her siblings and neighbours attend school during the week.
In her words, “Gina was 9 years old when she was withdrawn from school, and she has been at home ever since. She is unable to speak or perform tasks independently without assistance. I am the only person who can feed her.
“To address this situation, I met with the school management at the inclusive school in Mbiabong Etoi in hopes of securing admission for Gina as a boarder. Unfortunately, the school authorities were unable to admit her due to her dependent nature.
“I would have loved to take her to the school as a day student, but there is no transportation available for me to take her to and from school due to the distance. With the recent increase in fuel prices, transportation has become even more expensive.
“The fare from here to Four Lanes is ₦300, and the fare from Four Lanes to Osongama Traffic Light is also ₦300, making a total of ₦600 for a one-way trip. Since I will need to make a round trip, the daily cost will be ₦1,200. This amounts to ₦6,000 per week. During school hours, Gina is left alone at home while her siblings are at school, and I am at work running my small business.”
A director from an institution in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area informed this reporter that transporting Gina to school would cost ₦60,000 per term due to the distance, as the institution provides specialised classes for her needs.
Gina’s situation reflects the struggles of many children with special needs who cannot access education because of distance and other challenges. This issue stems from the lack of a State Education Sector Plan (SESP) and the non-implementation of the Gender Responsive Education Sector Plan (GRESP) in Akwa Ibom State.
Heartbreaking Facts About Rural Children with Disabilities
Nigerian policy, particularly through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), mandates that students should not travel more than 2 kilometers to their nearest school to ensure educational accessibility for all children.
This aligns with Inclusive Universal Basic Education and Sustainable Development Goal 4, which emphasizes accessible education for children with disabilities.
However, many children with special needs remain out of school, especially in rural areas that lack special or inclusive schools.
According to UNESCO’s report, there are over 10.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, and 5 to 7 million of them are estimated to be children with disabilities.
In Akwa Ibom State, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported in 2020 that Akwa Ibom State had 581,800 out-of-school children in 2017/2018.
Furthermore, research projects the state to have approximately 270,000 children with disabilities, yet only a fraction—around 10,000—are currently accessing basic education.
Meanwhile, the state has just seven special schools, often located in hard-to-reach areas.
Related: How Absence Of Education Sector Plan Contributes To Insufficient Special Educators In Akwa Ibom
Rural Children with Disabilities Discuss Their Challenges with Distance and Other Obstacles
This reporter spoke with Raymond Okon (not real name), a physically impaired Junior Secondary School ll student at Bright Hope Christian Academy, Ikot Ntuk, Oruk Anam LGA, who is the only disabled student and struggles with the long walk to school.
He said, “I often face the challenge of trekking from my house to school, and most of the time, when I arrive, I feel pain in my joints. It becomes even more distressing because I am reprimanded by my teachers whenever I arrive late.”
Uduak Bassey, a former prefect at Mbiabong Etoi Inclusive School in Uyo, shared the challenges he faces as a visually impaired student. Bassey said he struggled to find transportation, as many drivers refused to take him, fearing he would not pay the bus fare. This, according to him, often resulted in him arriving late to school.
Similarly, a physically challenged lady who did not want her name to be published opened up about her emotional struggles with parental neglect, discrimination, and bullying in conventional schools.
“As someone with a physical challenge, I trekked from Aka Road to Christian Secondary School at Ikot Abasi Street in Uyo,” she remembers. “It was a long distance, but I refused to let that stop me; my determination to attend school was unwavering.”
“The school did not provide a bus to assist with my transportation, so I had to struggle every day to get to school despite the distance. To make matters worse, my mother abandoned me when I was three years old because of my impairment, and I grew up feeling ashamed and neglected. This vulnerability ultimately resulted in my being raped.
“While I was in school, my classmates called me ‘cripple girl’, teachers excluded me from activities, and even family members told me I was growing up like a vegetable. Due to financial constraints, my education was a constant struggle.
“I lacked support from my guardians, wore the same uniform for three years, had no writing materials, and eventually dropped out before completing my secondary education. The experience had a profound psychological impact on me, affecting my self-esteem and ability to learn,” she lamented.
NGOs, School Teachers Speak Out on Parental Negligence, Impoverished Backgrounds of Children with Disabilities
Crystal Express Newspaper recently interviewed Sister Fidelia Zabbey, the administrator of the Saint Joseph Rehabilitation Centre in Essien Udim, Akwa Ibom State.
Administrator, Saint Joseph Rehabilitation Centre
Essien Udim, Akwa Ibom State
According to her, the NGO has supported individuals with disabilities for over 40 years through educational programmes while also highlighting the challenges faced by rural children due to financial constraints and neglect.
“During our outreach, we discovered that interior villages such as Ini and Obot Akara LGA have a higher number of individuals with disabilities. These individuals are extremely impoverished, which has resulted in many special needs children in these communities being unable to access education due to their parents’ financial difficulties and the barrier of distance.
“Most families are ashamed of their children, often keeping them indoors and preventing them from going to school. As an organization, we rescue these vulnerable individuals from their family members and bring them to a rehabilitation center.”
Zonal coordinator, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)
In agreement with Sister Zabbey’s opinion, the zonal coordinator of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Mr. Edmond Ekanem, stated that many families contribute to this issue because they believe having children with disabilities is a curse.
“Children with disabilities are often mistreated and regarded as less than human. Parents are reluctant to invest in their special children because they view them as a waste of resources.”
Highlighting distance as a barrier, Ekanem expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of rehabilitation centers and inclusive schools in remote villages, such as those in riverine and interior areas of the state.
“How can a child with special needs from such a remote area like Ini or Ibeno Local Government Area possibly attend Mbiabong Inclusive School in the state capital?
“Some individuals, after attending public schools, find it difficult to cope and end up resigning, ultimately giving up on their education. As a result, we continue to see a higher number of illiterate individuals within the disability community. Distance is one of the major barriers hindering education for persons with disabilities,” Edmond noted.
In an interview with Elder Imo Essien, a special education teacher and director at the Prestigious Royal School in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, he explained that public segregation and parental abandonment are prevalent issues.
“There is a problem of segregation among parents, and it is a major concern. For instance, when a parent has a child with special needs, there is often parental rejection, which leads to a lack of identification with the child. As a result, the children are hidden indoors.”
“For example, affluent parents are likely to transport their able-bodied child to school in an expensive vehicle. However, when it comes to their special needs child, they may prefer a cyclist to bring him or her to school to avoid being associated with the child.
Unfortunately, this stigma remains with the child. As special educators, we first allow the child to feel love from us before focusing on proper teaching. This societal rejection is one of our major challenges.”
Similarly, one of the staff members at the inclusive school in Ikot Ekpene, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that the institution has more students with disabilities applying for admission, but there is a drastic reduction during enrollment due to the financial difficulties faced by the parents.
“We can have up to 200 people who come for admission, but only 20 are enrolled. This can be hindered by financial struggles, and some parents may choose not to enroll their children because they feel there is no need to spend a lot of money on them. Additionally, they may believe that their special needs children have no future.
“The parents are financially struggling, so we have a limited number of students who pay fees. For instance, out of 250 students in the school, only about 120 pay fees, while around 80 are supported by the school. Most of the time, this affects our salaries because they are based on the budgeted fees.”
Government’s Intervention
Personal Assistant to the Governor on Persons With Disabilities
According to the Personal Assistant to the Governor on Persons With Disabilities, Ubong Ikpe, “the government is very intentional about the welfare of children with special needs in the education sector.
“This dedication is evident in the provision of subventions and school materials, ensuring access to quality education for these children.
“Notably, the government has renovated Christ the King and made it a model school in Uyo and recently, the governor commissioned the Ignatius Model Primary School in Ukana Iba, Essien Udim Local Government, to facilitate accessibility for children with disabilities.
“Furthermore, plans are underway to establish model schools in each Senatorial District, providing easy access to education for children with disabilities.”
Unfortunately, attempts to reach the Commissioner of Education were unsuccessful due to the recent swearing-in of new State Executive Members.
Bridging the Education Gap Through GRESP
Rural children with disabilities in Akwa Ibom State face significant challenges in accessing education. To overcome these obstacles, experts say it would be essential to develop and implement an Education Sector Plan (ESP) and a Gender Responsive Education Sector Plan (GRESP).
The ESP, according to the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI), is a strategic framework that outlines a vision for education and identifies methods to achieve it. GRESP is crucial for addressing gender barriers within educational systems.
Under the guidance of UNGEI and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), supported by UNICEF, GRESP aims to promote gender equality and address the specific needs of children with disabilities. It seeks to eliminate gender bias and discrimination stemming from social and cultural attitudes.
The Zonal Coordinator, Edmond Ekanem, emphasised that implementing GRESP in Akwa Ibom State would enhance enrollment for children with disabilities in rural schools, ensuring their access to education without barriers.
Way Forward
To Ekanem, the barriers of distance and parental neglect can be effectively addressed if there is a strong political will to develop an Education Sector Plan and implement gender-responsive policies.
“These frameworks will help provide accessible vehicles and mobility aids to facilitate access to schools for individuals with disabilities.
Furthermore, more inclusive schools should be established in remote areas of the states. At a minimum, each of the three senatorial districts should have at least one government-owned inclusive school.”
Esther Asuquo, an advocate for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, said there is a need to raise awareness, particularly among parents, so that they can love and accept their special children.
“There is a need for the implementation of disability laws. If parents and the public are aware of the penalties for mistreating a child with special needs, including the possibility of jail time, they will be more careful in their treatment of these children.
“The government should also monitor the welfare of these children, provide scholarships for them, and offer free transportation, such as buses, to assist them.”
