Inclusive education and sustainable development goals: A study of the physically challenged in Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this paper centres on quality, equitable and inclusive education for all, which underscores SDG 4. This is because the importance and linkage of education to the development of any society cannot be over-emphasised. It argues that for a society to develop, education must be inclusive (including the physically challenged). It examines the prospect of inclusive education within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with particular reference to goal number four. It contextualizes this within the challenges facing education system in Nigeria. The paper adopts quantitative method of enquiry. A total of 200 copies of questionnaire were distributed and 188 were retrieved and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 17.0) software. Preliminary findings suggest that the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs 4) in Nigeria’s education system towards the physically challenged is in serious jeopardy and requires immediate policy revalidation. The study concludes that for a meaningful development to be achieved by Nigeria, every citizen (physically challenged inclusive), must have access to knowledge, skills and information.

Keywords

• education system
• inclusive education
• physically challenged
• sustainable development
• nigeria