THE EFFECT OF INSTITUTIONAL

The effect of Institutional Based Programmes in the Education of the Visually Impaired Children and Youth in West Africa

Isuwa J. Jurmang

CBM advisor on special education

Department of special education

University of Jos,

ABSTRACT

Two Residential Special Schools; One in Nigeria and the other in Niger Republic were selected. The school in Niger was 22 years Old and the one in Nigeria was 28 years. For those periods of years, the school had mean annual in take of 4 and 6 children respectively. The annual enrolment therefore are 24 for Niger and 36 children for Nigeria. Huge resources have been put into these schools, yet only a few children gain access to the schools. The research concludes by looking into the economic and employment opportunities of the graduates. This has further questioned the goal and the method of educating the visually impaired children and youth in the region.

INTRODUCTION

Education is concerned with the total process of human learning by which knowledge is imparted, faculties trained and skills developed. Many other reasons could be attributed to having education. Some of which are political, cultural or economical.

In Africa most parents can only support the education of their children where there is employment prospects for them. They want to see their children gainfully employed after graduating from school.

Visually impaired children like their sighted peers have the same educational needs and expectation. Therefore appropriate quantitative and qualitative education should turn them out with knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to contribute positively towards their personal development their extended families and their nation. They should not be seen in object poverty and are not to depend on their sighted peers and relations for food, clothing, shelter and everything in their life as the case often is. This calls for revisiting and reorganizing the methods of educating them, their educational goal should be identified, realistic and achievable.

RESEARCH AREAS

St. Joseph Centre for the visually impaired Obudu is in Cross - River State of Nigeria. It was established in 1972 by the Catholic Arch Dioceses of Ogoja. It is a Residential Special school. In 1975 Reverse integration was introduced in the school.

Ecole de Jeunes aveugle (school for blind children) Niamey in Niger was established in 1978. It was established by the Blind Union of Niger. It is also a Residential Special School.

A general observation and survey was done within the West African Region.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

At Niamey, the Principal and a teacher who is in charge of record keeping and correspondences and the Researcher formed the research team.

In Nigeria, the vice Principal and a visually impaired staff who was also an old student of the school with the Researcher formed the team.

Most old students that were around at the time of the research were interviewed. It was easier confirming what the records had and inquiring about particular old student of the schools from them. They still had at the tip of their hands the names and numbers of their mates. They in most cases had full knowledge of the where about of each of them.

The researcher toured and evaluated the following Residential Special Schools in West Africa:

* Wa and Manpong Schools in Ghana

* Togoville and Kpalime Schools in Togo and

* School for Blind Children Gindiri in Nigeria.

STATISTICAL TOOLS

Simple Percentage was used to quantify the research findings. Mean ( x ) was also used for evaluation.

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

TABLE 1

ENROLLMENT FROM 1978 - 200 (22 YEARS) OF THE SCHOOL FOR BLIND CHILDREN NIAMEY, NIGER REPUBLIC.

1978 1979

1979 1980

1980

1981

1982

1982 1983

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

Fillers (Girls)

Garcons (Boys)

Special Class

Total

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

TOTAL

Fillers (Girls)

Garcons (Boys)

Special Class

Total

108

1978 - 2000 = 22 years.

Total Nos. of Boys = 56

Total Nos. of Girls = 45

Total Nos. in Special Class = 7

Grand Total = 108

NB Special Class is a class set for people who became blind at later life.

The mean new intake per year for the 22 years =

Ef/N

= 108/22

X = 4

TABLE 2

ENROLLMENT FORM 1972 - 2000 (28 YEARS) OF ST. JOSEPH CENTRE FOR THE VISUALLY HANDICAPPED OBUDU NIGERIA

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

Boys

Girls

special Class

Total

1986

1987

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Total

122

183

1972 - 2000 = 28 years.

Total Nos. of Boys = 122

Special Class = 14

Grand Total = 183

Mean New intake per year for 28 years =

= 183

X = 6

TABLE 3

OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT OF CANDIDATES OF NIAMEY IN NIGER

TELEPHONE OPERATORS 11 (11.5%)

WEAVING/KNITTING

5 (5.2%)

WITHOUT JOB

7 (7.3%)

DECEASED

2 (2..1%)

STUDENTS

12 (12.6%)

PUPILS

42 (44.2%)

PAINTING

1 (1%)

UNKNOWN CASES

15 (15.7%)

TOTAL

95 (100%)

TABLE 4

HIGHEST QUALIFICATIONS OBTAINED BY CANDIDATES OF OBUDU IN NIGERIA

NO CERTIFICATE OBTAINED

120 (40.9%)

FIRST SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATE

45 (15.3%)

POST PRIMARY CERTIFICATE

14 (4.7%)

TERTIARY CERTIFICATE

10 (3.4%)

TRADE CERTIFICATE

97 (33.1%)

JUNIOR SECONDARY CERTIFICATE

7 (2.3%)

TOTAL

293 (100%)

TABLE 5

OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT OF CANDIDATES OF OBUDU IN NIGERIA

CRAFT INSTRUCTORS

47 (16 %)

TRADERS

19 (6.4%)

JOURNALISTS

2 (0.6%)

SOCIAL WORKERS

1 (0.3%)

TEACHERS

6 (2%)

TELEPHONE OPERATORS

2 (0.6%)

MUSICIANS

1 (0.3%)

CIVIL SERVANTS

2 (0.6%)

TYPISTS

1 (0.3%)

INDUSTRIAL ARTISTS

1 (0.3%)

ARTISANTS

4 (13.6%)

BRAILLIST

1 (0.3%)

DECEASED

13 (44%)

PUPILS

103 (35.1%)

UNKNOWN CASES

37 (12.6%)

STUDENTS

42 (14.3%)

TRAINEES

11 (3.7%)

TOTAL

293 (100%)

LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH

In Obudu Nigeria, the data used in analysing enrollment and employment are 183 and 293 respectfully. This is because in enrollment, the school’s vocational training was not considered. However in Job or employment analysis the vocational candidates were added on.

In Niamey, Niger, 108 was used for enrollment analysis only 95 were used for employment analysis. This is due to the fact nobody could remember the names of the other 13 and what they do. It was difficult determining highest qualifications in Niger. This is because records only show countries they went to and not their highest qualifications.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

Table and 1 and 2 show that Obudu and Niamey have annual students in take of 6 and 4 children respectively. The schools have classes 1 to 6.

Therefore their annual enrollment is 6 x 6 = 36 for Obudu Nigeria and 6 x 4 = 24 for Niamey Nigeria. This shows that only very few visually impaired children gain access to school every year and only few of them receive education in the schools.

The schools are supported by Government, International Organizations, Individuals and Philanthropic Organizations every year. Huge sums of money are used for only a few number of children.

Tables 3 and 5 show the spread of employment opportunities of the graduates of the schools.

In Niger only three types of jobs are identified.

1. Telephone Operators (11.5%)

2. Weaving and Knitting (5.2%) and

3. Painting (1%).

In Nigeria it is a wide range of spread of job opportunities, but many of the job opportunities have less then 1% employment of the candidates.

Craft is the highest with (16%) followed by Artisans 13.6% and teaching 2%. All the rest are insignificant (less than 1%) figures or opportunities.

The two cases showed that there are more positive employment opportunities towards vocational jobs e.g Telephone Operators, Craft, Weaving and Knitting and being Artisans. Special Schools should lay emphasis towards giving skills that the graduates would use their hands. The quest or emphasis on academic which usually is with the hope of getting white colar job, the V. I. Children in Africa hardly get such jobs. Vocational skills be given the children no matter their academic height. This could be started early with prevocational skills from the nursery class throughout the 6 year primary Training even up to the University level.

Opportunities for apprenticeship within the students locality be opened up. This may open up opportunities for other Vocational Trainings that could not be available in the school. Many educated or even graduates have turned to street begging for lack of what to do.

Table 4 shows highest qualification obtained by the graduates of Obudu in Nigeria. 40.9% of those who went to the school, dropped out 33.1% obtained trade certificate only 4.7% and 3.4% got to Post Primary and Tertiary Certificate. 2.3% obtained Junior Secondary Schools Certificates.

A high proportion of their dropped our despite the huge resources that are used on them. Most often they come from distances to the school. Perhaps schools within the locations will take care of that. 33 .1% which is the highest in certification is in the trade area. This clearly shows again that Vocational Skills are very vital in the training skills of the V. I. Children in Africa. The number of those who finish the Primary, Secondary and the Tertiary Institutions are still insignificant.

OBSERVATIONS

Despite all publicity of the Residential Special Schools in West Africa many people are still pretending to be unaware of such provision around them. Therefore people do not want to get the services of the schools as it should and they do not give the schools the desired support. There is need to design strategies for attacking such attitude so that people become genuinely aware of the existence of such schools around them.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to feed the students in the schools. On many occasions, schools close earlier for vacation and they delay in returning from vacation. Both food quantity and quality are reducing in schools. Schools had sent the students out to the streets to go and beg to feed in school.

Some schools have been indebted to the tune of hundreds of dollars for feeding the students on loan in the region. What we are beginning to get on the streets is a group of academically educated visually impaired beggers.

CONCLUSION

Governments in the region are introducing the educational system that aims at giving basic practical skills to children at early years of schooling. Unfortunately the implementation is not meeting the need. The idea would have met the needs of the visually impaired children. The situation therefore now is that there are only a few privilege ones gain access to school. Yet a huge sums of money is spent in such educational centres.

Despite that, a high percentage drop out. It is those seen early as failing and are referred for Craft Training that turn our to be the most employed. The education that our visually impaired children get is not the most appropriate to their needs.