Equity Access to Education and Children with Special Needs: Towards Achieving Education for All

The state of education industry in Nigeria in general and Specific Needs Education (SNE) in particular has always drawn the attention, interest and concern of all stakeholders in the sector at all levels to examine the present situation and proffer the way forward. The philosophy thrust on which the National Policy on Education (NPE) is built is the provision of equal educational opportunities and access to education by every child in Nigeria irrespective of sex, religion, political and economic status of his/her parents. In line with this policy statement, the first objective of special education is to effect equalization of educational opportunities for the physically and emotionally challenged children as well as the gifted and the talented. This will enable every learner to so that every learner to reach his/her optimum educational and career development. The goal of this paper therefore is ensuring the provision of a type of education that is so skillfully adapted to the learning characteristics of every child with Special Needs which will enable him or her to succeed.