A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS IN PLATEAU STATE; IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION SERVICE PROVISION

ABSTRACT

The demographic survey of handicapped children was conducted in schools in Plateau State. Five special schools for the handicapped and twenty-one integrated schools were covered in the survey. A total of five hundred and thirteen children that were made up of the auditorily impaired, mentally retarded, multiple impaired, physically impaired as well as visually impaired were studied. The main purpose of this study was to survey the characteristics of the handicapped children in schools in both special and integrated schools with a view to study analytically their basic demographic characteristics and to make recommendations that would improve the provision of educational other related services for the handicapped children. The paucity of data on the handicapped children hinders knowledge of their demographic characteristics which adversely affect the implementation of policies targeted on them. The Demographic survey instrument (DSI) and Related Service Survey Instrument (RSSI) were used to collect the relevant data. Data were presented on age ranges of the population, causes of each type of handicapping condition, age at onset of impairment, the prevalence rate, educational placement, age students started education, service delivery options, vocation and alternative living potentials after school, using tables, percentages, bargraphs. The findings among others indicated that auditory impaired was the most prevalent, the least being the multiple impaired. The findings showed that the prevalent rate of all the impairments in the area of study is 0.08%. The auditorily impairment with prevalent rate of .0057 was the most prevalent of all, and this is followed by physical impairment and visual impairment with the rate of .00009% each. This finding corroborates the international statistics, which showed that among children the numerical most common type of disability is deafness. The highest percentage of the handicapped were of Hausa ethnicity, and males were more in number than female handicapped in schools. The causes of the various categories of impairments included meningitis for auditory impairment, congenital factors for mentally retarded and multiple impairment, poliomyelitis for physical impairment and measles for visual impairment as the most frequent factors in each case. There was indication that more children were affected by various categories of impairment early in life at age range of birth to nine years. Also, a high percentage of the population will enter into competitive employment and vocational training not for the handicapped. The implications of the study among others means that there is need for the provision of preventive special education services as well as adequate and appropriate facilities and equipment and materials for the education of the handicapped. There is need for early diagnostic and screening services that would ensure early therapeutic and special education for those early detected. Recommendations were made suggesting among others that diagnostic and screening centers should be established in every educational zone in the state. Methods of prevention and control of diseases such as meningitis, enchocerciasis, poliomyelitis, as well as general preventive measures of handicapping conditions should be made compulsory in curriculum of schools. More integrated schools should be established in each Local Government Area. Integrated schools for the handicapped emphasize inclusive education, which among other things provide equal opportunity for access to a quality education at all, levels. A greater emphasis should be placed on prevocational and daily living skills programming and planning for work and living options after school.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 

      1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The alarming prevalence of various categories of handicapped persons in our contemporary society has generated a great awareness of people on the problems of these members of the society. Ezera (1990) agreed that there has been a phenomenal increase in awareness of the society on the plight of the handicapped children including their vocational needs. Adebose (1989) posited that the World Health Organization (WHO); the

International Labour Organization (ILO); the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) all agreed on some world data. According to them, 10% of all people in the world have disabilities. Out of this number 10% have serious disabilities which most often prevent them from working, 3% can work with help or rehabilitation; 6% just exist and do not avail themselves of helpful services for average living.

In 1981, the United Nations Economic and Social Council released a startling figure that 45 million people in Africa suffer from various disabilities. Nigeria, being the most populated country in Africa, would no doubt have a large number of these disabled people. The United Nations projection leaves Nigeria with about 8.5 million people that are disabled. In fact, Adebose (1989) puts the figure at 10 million disabled people in Nigeria. Consequently, Plateau state with a population of about four million would by this projection have between 400,000 to 500,000 disabled people (Adebose, 1989).

There has really been a steady growth of societal consciousness that handicapped persons are human beings who require the respect and care of the society they belong

(Ihenacho, 1985). According to Ihenacho beliefs are fast changing from that of superstition to that of scientific research, and proven ideas. The mass media, and various authors have begun to expose the various nature of handicapping conditions, including their causes. Beliefs are no more on fairy tales but on what could be done practically to help the handicapped people in Nigeria. In recent times, he continued, governments have come up with policies and programmes to provide education and other related services to the handicapped children. Similarly, non-governmental organizations, social clubs and philanthropists are all making efforts to help educate and rehabilitate handicapped persons.  Both the National Policy on Education (1981) and the Plateau State Education Bill of 1981 stipulated that handicapped children should be provided with free education where possible. Section 56(7) of the national policy on education stated that “The education of handicapped and gifted children will be free at all levels where possible.” In the same vein, the Plateau State Government Handicapped Bill Section (i) stated that the Plateau State Government shall provide free special education and related services to all handicapped and young persons of the state origin (Plateau State Handbill Section 2(a), 1981). But the question is, can this be effectively done without taking a comprehensive demographic study of the number and characteristics of the handicapped persons?

For any meaningful service to be packaged for handicapped children in any society, adequate planning which goes with knowing the handicapped by having a study of their characteristics and the implications of these characteristics for provision of educational services is necessary. Urwick (1994) agreed with this when he asserted that one of the tasks of education planning is to use demographic data from population census and other suitable sources in order to assess needs and to meet targets, which correspond to the goals of wider participation and equitable distribution of resources.

Policy decision-making requires the near exact number and demographic

characteristics of the people who are to benefit from welfare packages (Ihenacho, 1985).

According to Ihenacho, this is necessary because if wrong and inappropriate decisions are taken the people will be deprived of viable assistance. This is true of the handicapped people in the society. To this end, it was stipulated in the National Policy on Education

(1977) Section 8 Sub-section 56 Number 2, that:

A census will be taken of all handicapped children and adults by age, by sex, by locality and by type, and schools will be obliged to make yearly returns of children who could be classified as highly gifted or otherwise so as to attract national attention as to develop their potentialities beyond granting of mere scholarship.

 

The National Policy on Education (1981 Revised) expressed the intention of Nigeria to carry out a census of handicapped children. It stated that a census of the handicapped persons will be carried out by the federal and state Ministries of Education and data collection and records on special education development shall be a regular exercise so that the handicapped persons are identified, enumerated and targeted for treatment before their conditions become irredeemable. But up to this time, Nigeria has not been able to adequately carry out a comprehensive survey of the handicapped persons in their various cultural societies (Ihenacho, 1985). However, some Nigerians have carried out some surveys of the handicapped persons in schools. Such authors as Akogun (1971), Oni (1983), Abiose (1994), Onabolu (1996) have been able to carry out studies of the handicapped persons. But in most of the surveys carried out, the data presented were mere estimates and general in nature.

It is pertinent to note that since 1960 Nigeria has had three general demographic studies of her population in form of census for effective formulation of policies and programming. These were the 1963, 1973, and the 1991 censuses. In  these censuses, no figure of the number of the handicapped children and their characteristics was made available except in the 1991 census. In spite of the completion of 1991 population count and its acceptance in principle by the government, Urwick (1994) noted that the census information available for educational planning was still far from adequate.

The recent data  on disability in Nigeria were made available in the report of 1991 census. The 1991 Nigeria population census uniquely collected data on disability. Although only some broad and general conditions were investigated; it was the first time such data were collected nation wide in Nigeria (Uche, 1999).

The 1991 census counted 429,142 Nigerians who were disabled with slightly more males (221,909) than females (207,233). This gives a crude disability figure of nearly 5

Nigerians out of a thousand people that are disabled, National Population Commission

(1998). According to the report, state-specific disability rate varies markedly, with Anambra, Kebbi, Imo, Yobe, Sokoto and Borno, in that order, having the highest rates (6.0  or above), and the lowest rates found in Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Kogi (rates between 3.1 to 3.6). Apart from the presence of Lagos in the second category, there might be an arguable link between level of industrialization and commercialization and the incidence of disability.

It was also revealed that nationally, deafness is the most prevalent disability (24%), followed by blindness (18.2%), crippling condition (12.9%), deafness and dumbness (12.5%), mental illness (10.2%) and dumbness (8.3%). The remaining 13.4% reported other disabilities but failed to state specific disability.

National Population Commission (1998) indicated that males generally have higher disability rates than females, clearly as a function of the socialization process and differential social and economic roles performed by males. For instance, men engage in occupations and life styles or behaviours that predispose them to higher incidence of disabilities compared to females.

Informative as the data are, they grossly underscore the number of persons with handicapping conditions in Nigeria. Nothing was told about the causes of disabilities, which is vital for their prevention (Uche, 1999). Apart from missing people with mild disabilities, especially children, disabled persons were undercounted in censuses because many do not have permanent homes or addresses, which is the hallmark of a de facto census. Furthermore, reliance on self-reporting and the lack of expertise among census enumerators in the identification of disabilities are other sources of bias in census data on disability. Uche, therefore opined that the deficiency of census data on people with handicapping conditions underscores the need to supplement such data with data from other sources such as sample survey, and the building of data bank where the data are stored and analyzed for the benefit of end-users.

Demographic study of the handicapped persons therefore has been narrow in scope. Lack of a comprehensive demographic study of the handicapped persons becomes a serious problem facing the government, education planners, teachers and all others involved in the improvement of the welfare of the handicapped persons.

According to United Nations (1994), the needs of all citizens constitute the basis for planning and policy. The general system of the society is made accessible to all by accommodating its structures and function to the needs of all its citizens and, consequently, strengthens its developmental potential.

The rights of persons with disabilities have been the subject of much attention in the United Nations and International Year of Disabled Persons, in 1991 when the world programme of action concerning disabled persons, was adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 37/52 of 3^rd December 1992. They both emphasized the right of persons with disabilities to the same opportunities as other citizens and to equal share in the provision and improvement of educational services and living conditions (United Nations Assembly, 1994).

The declaration and frame-work for action made explicit actions needed to be taken by states to realize their various objectives and principles in providing and caring for the disabled persons. Thus, Rule 13 of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities clearly stipulated that:

1. States should assume the ultimate responsibility for the collection of and dissemination of information on the living conditions and status of persons with disabilities and promote comprehensive research on all aspects including obstacles that affect the lives of persons with disabilities.
2. States should at regular intervals collect gender-specific statistics and other information concerning the living conditions of persons with disabilities. Such data could be in conjunction with national census and household survey and could be taken in close collaboration with universities, research institutes and organizations or persons with disabilities.
3. States should initiate and support programmes or research on social, educational, economic and participation issues that affect the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Such research should include studies on the causes, types, and frequencies of disabilities, the availability and efficacy of existing programmes and the need for development and evaluation of services and support measures.
4. States should support the exchange of research findings and experiences and should take measures to disseminate information and knowledge on disability to all political and administrative levels within national, regional and local spheres.

The need for this research is therefore, apparent since Nigeria is advancing in all aspects of life and she is patterning her activities in line with fast advancing and technological world of today. Nigeria is also continuously reappraising her commitment to her citizens of all categories and at the same time calling on them to reappraise their love for their fatherland. This calls for more efficiency of services in all sectors of service to the nation and her people. The government, non-governmental agencies, private organizations, research centers and indeed the field of special education would achieve much in the provision of education and related services if the demographic studies of all handicapped persons is comprehensively carried out.

      1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The world has never been so wealthy, has never been so advanced in science and technology, there has never been such a break through in medicine as we have today, yet the number of handicapped children in the various categories is on the increase in Nigeria. Thus the size of the population of handicapped school age children with special educational needs continue to be a special problem to the society (Adebose 1989). Governments at various levels have been showing special interest in this category of people by formulating educational policies aimed at bettering their lot. The question to be asked is this, Do those making these policies know the people they are planning for? Do they know the number in schools?

For any meaningful planning for the provision of educational services for the population, the demographic characteristic factor must be given priority attention. It is generally believed that the previous censuses figures have failed to provide adequate data for effective population planning because of the fact that the census schedules have not yielded enough information on the demographic variables necessary for this planning, among others. The Plateau State government handicapped Bill is still awaiting implementation because of lack of demographic data on the characteristics of the handicapped children especially those in schools. In support of this, Adima (1989) noted that there is no precise documentation of the handicapped children in Nigeria. Lack of knowledge of demographic characteristics of the handicapped children in schools is a great problem to effective planning and implementation of educational services for handicapped children. What type of educational planning will be made for handicapped children if their educational needs based on their demographic characteristics are not known? Will lack of data on the needs of the handicapped children not perpetuate lack of awareness of the total programming needs, resulting in the undeserving of this population? For handicapped children in the schools to be adequately provided for, there is need for a comprehensive demographic survey of the handicapped children in schools, which this work sets out to do.

 

      1.3    PURPOSE OF STUDY

The main purpose of this study, therefore, is to survey the demographic characteristics of the handicapped children in primary and secondary schools in both special and integrated schools in Plateau State. It is an attempt to study analytically the basic demographic characteristics of all handicapped children in both types of schools with a view to making appropriate recommendations for improving the provision of educational services for the children under study. Specifically, the research intends to:

1. Determine the distribution of the handicapped children in the schools.
2. Determine the ethnic distribution of handicapped children according to age range of the population and sex.
3. Find out causes of each type of handicapping condition.
4. Determine the percentage of children who are deaf and those with low level of hearing.
5. Determine the percentage of children who are totally blind and those with usable vision.
6. Ascertain the age at onset of impairment of the children.
7. Ascertain prevalence rate of the various handicapping conditions.
8. Determine the educational placement of the handicapped children.
9. Determine the age at which the child started receiving special education.
10. Determine related services other than academic oriented programmes

available in the schools.

11. Find out the vocation and alternative living potential of the handicapped

 

 

      1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions have been formulated to guide the investigations, which will try to find answers to them.

1. What is the distribution of handicapped children in the schools?
2. What is the ethnic distribution of the handicapped children according to age range of population and sex?
3. What are the possible causes of each type of handicapping condition of those in the schools?
4. What is the percentage of deaf children versus children with partial hearing?
5. What is the percentage of children with blindness versus children with usable vision?
6. What was the age at onset of impairment of the children?
7. What is the prevalence rate of various categories of handicapping condition in the schools?
8. What are the educational placements of the children in the schools?
9. At what age did the child start receiving special education?
10. What related services other than academic oriented programmes are made

available to the children in the schools?

11. What is the vocational and alternative – living potential of the handicapped children?
12. What are the possible implications of the result of the study for educational service provisions?

 

      1.5    THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study has its main background; the census theory and the humanistic psychology theory of Abraham Maslow (1954), May Rollo (1950) and Carl Rogers (1954).  Census theory concerns itself, among others; with population planning that is fundamental in any efforts made in the provision of services to the people. Data generated through census enumeration address the areas of population planning problem of those being enumerated (Asipade, 1989). For example, in the handicapped being studied, several population problems may arise out of their demographic situation. It is expected that the age and sex characteristics of the population may have some effects on the population problems such as in the provision of educational services.

According to the theory, the age distribution of the population would indicate the possible demographic and educational problems that may be expected in the population where, for example, if there is a large proportion of the population in age group, say 6-9 years old due to blindness, it is expected that there will be high need to provide special schools for the blind in the area. Similarly, if the population distribution consists of a large age group of people whose cause of impairment is mainly onchocerciasis, it is expected that preventive and rehabilitation education services would be included in the school curriculum.  The humanistic psychology theorists emphasize the whole person and the importance of each person’s subjective experience. The theories are approaches to psychology that emphasize person’s growth and achievement of human potentials rather than the scientific understanding, prediction and control of behaviour. Perhaps the central concept in humanistic psychology is the need for self-actualisation. Humanistic psychology theorists believe that the most important is the underlying need to develop ones full potential. The exploration of human potential according to the theories should be pursued and thus learn how this potential can be more effectively realized.

The humanistic theorists further, feel that the structure of society, its pressures and its restrictions account for human problems. Consequently, people need help in discovering themselves and in starting on the part towards self-actualisation. They feel that there needed to be more emphasis on what a person is like as an individual; how he perceives the world around him, how he grows and develops his full capacity.

In view of the above discussion, this study will adequately take cognisance of these possible assumptions in order that the data generated should be meaningful for educational planning vis-à-vis the provision of appropriate educational services for the handicapped children in the schools.

 

      1.6    SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The demographic study of the handicapped children in schools is considered

important for the following reasons:

Demographic study of the handicapped children has not been given the proper

attention it deserves. This research is, therefore, one that would provide the Plateau State Government and the populace in particular a fairly clear picture of the figure, characteristics of each category of handicapped children in the area. The study would give indications as to the contemporary knowledge of the demographic situations of the handicapped children in schools in Plateau State.

It would provide planners and administrators information on the accurate or approximate number and characteristics of handicapped children so as to be able to package adequate educational services and relevant programmes for them. It will facilitate the establishment of adequate social services such as rehabilitation and health services. A lack of knowledge of demographic characteristics of handicapped children in the schools will sustain loopholes in any concrete efforts to alleviate their problematic conditions.

Various governments and non-governmental agencies would use the findings as scientific facts to be able to formulate concrete objectives in the area of provision for educational need of the handicapped children according to their age, sex, need, abilities and problems. Thus, adequate planning of support services as well as educational services would be rendered to each category of the handicapped children on long and short term

basis.

Confirmation of the accurate number in schools and their peculiar characteristics would create an awareness of the need to review the educational services in the future to include non-available ones. There is the need to render educational services such as appropriate educational placement, counselling individual or group instruction programme and career placement in consideration of characteristics and needs of the children, which the research intends to expose.

It would serve as a data bank for a future research enthusiasts, scholars, university students and government officials, and the information from this study would give direction for further research to determine what education the population requires.

In addition, the research will serve as a reference work for the demographic situation of the handicapped children in the schools in the state. It is therefore, pertinent that it gives a fairly complete picture of the apparent demographic characteristics of the handicapped children in schools in the state.

      1.7    DELIMITATION  OF THE STUDY

The research intends to carry out a comprehensive study of demographic

characteristics of the handicapped children. The survey will specifically cover the following categories of the school age handicapped children: visually impaired, auditory impaired mentally retarded, physically impaired and multiple impaired. The research will only include those whose disabilities have been clearly diagnosed or identified and are found in special and integrated schools within the state. The school age children include all the individuals in either the primary schools or secondary schools in Plateau State. It did not cover children outside the school system.

The study will however, concentrate in the following areas: percentage of the various categories and their distribution according to sex and age range; the ethnic background; causes of the impairment; age at onset of the handicapping condition; age highest at risk; educational placement; educational services available and vocational and alternative living potential.

It is important to note that the study does not intend to develop any programme but rather recommendations will be made to enhance the provision of educational and other related services for the handicapped children in schools.

1.8       OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Individual whose body parts (limbs) are removed and may or may not be using

artificial limbs.

Age at Onset

This is the age at last birthday prior to the onset of impairment.

Residential School for Handicapped Children:

A school facility in which handicapped students are educated, housed, and cared for.

Day School for Handicapped Children.

A facility where a significant proportion of all closes are conducted exclusively for handicapped children, all of whom live at home and attend school during the day.

Full-time Special Education Classes

Special classes consisting entirely. The handicapped children. Classes are located in an elementary or secondary school building in which the handicapped children also attend classes.

Part-time Special Education Classes

The students time is spent partly in special educational classes consisting entirely of theses of the same handicapping condition.

Resource Room

A special classroom located in a regular school for the handicapped children which contains personnel, services, and facilities specifically designed for handicapped students. Students participates in regular classroom activities and receives special help in resource room as needed. Census

A head-to-head count of people (handicapped children) in a given geographical area.

Demographic Study

This is a scientific process of collecting compiling and reporting of characteristics of the handicapped children. The characteristics cover the population structure and size, its composition by sex, range of age distribution and ethnic background.

Educational Placement

It is placement in special education, which presupposes identification of, and selective location of the handicapped child where majority of children of comparable age receive their education. Placement could take any of these forms: special class, regular class with supplementary resource room service, residential school, day school, fulltime special education classes etc.

Low Level Of Hearing 

This is an indication that the individual has a hearing loss of 50-70 db. These are children between the borderline and the deaf. They possess usable hearing and can be trained to use their residual hearing.

Prevalence

Prevalence refers to total number of cases of a particular disease (impairment) within a given population present at any given time.

Usable Vision

This is partial sightedness, which makes a person to have less than 20/70 visual acuity in the better eye after correction. It is a progressive eye disorder that will probably reduce vision below 20/70 or a peripheral vision that subtends an angle less that 20 degrees. These are to be educated with special aids, through the medium of vision with consideration given to the useful vision they retain.

Incidence 

Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a particular disease divided by the number of persons at risk, which occur in a specified time.