Inclusive Education Policies in Nigeria and its Implementation Challenges: A Historical Overview

ABSTRACT: The implementation of educational policies in general, and those of inclusive education in particular, have been the Achilles’ heel of many a government, past and present. This paper examined inclusive education policies in Nigeria as well as the challenges that pose barriers to its effective implementation. The paper highlighted the various views held by some persons on inclusive education, which tend to show the need to bring together both the physically able and disabled into the mainstream of schooling. Also, the historical evolution of inclusive education from special education in a few countries which ignited the need to globalize this aspect of education into inclusive education through many international conferences, treaties and policies. It was also observed that over the years Nigeria has various editions of her National Policy on Education on inclusive education. The paper therefore identified some of the challenges stalling the implementation of the policy on inclusive education. The paper concluded that unless there is a total change towards policy implementation, Nigeria’s good educational dreams should be tottering like a little child standing on a quick sand. It was therefore recommended, among others, that inclusive education should be adequately funded; that sufficient trained manpower be made available to be retrained when the need arises. KEYWORDS: Inclusive Education, Inclusion, Integration, Persons with Disabilities, Policy, Social Intentionality.