SPECIAL TARGET EDUCATION AND REASON FOR ITS INCLSION IN NCE PROGRAMME
What is special Target Education? Education of special target groups is that educational arrangement of programme that provides the opportunity, methods and strategies to educate these groups of individuals perceived and regarded as under privileged. This group of individuals has significant limitations in terms of activity and participation in one or more areas of life due to permanent functional and structural issues, which result in continued difficulty in forms of inter personal relationships and social involvement.
Again, Education of special target groups also know as special needs education, aided education, vocational education and limb care authority education of special target groups can also be defined as the practice of education students with special educational needs in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self sufficiency and success in school and their communities that may be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education. Common special needs include learning disabilities, communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities and developmental disabilities students with these kinds of special needs are likely to benefit from additional educational services such as different approaches to teaching, the use of technology, a specifically adapted teaching area, or resource them.
Education of special target groups are programs that are designed for those students who are mentally, physically, socially and /or emotionally delayed. This aspect of ‘delay’, broadly categorized as developmental delay, signify and aspect of the child’s overall development (physical, cognitive, scholastic skills) which place them behind their peers due to these special requirements, students’ needs cannot be met within the traditional classroom environment.
Idea (The individuals with disabilities act) defines education of special groups’ targets as specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. These services are no cost to the family and available to children until they are true.
In Nigeria, the inception of the education of special target groups has in existence after the inception of education. The educational needs of these groups of individuals are essentials for them and this can only be achieved if they are given special treatment and attention. Most of these groups of individuals are born in such state and accordly to the National Policy on Education, every Nigeria citizen irrespective of sex, age or condition has the right to education. As technology paved way into the nations, especially Nigeria, the had effects on all the aspects of the country. In education, students and pupils started making use of ICT facilities, charts white board etc. unlike in the olden days they made use of chalk board and counting materials. Gradually, aspiring teachers who underwent through the NCE program where given the insight on how to help these special target groups have and educational opportunity irrespective of their age, sex or condition.
These under paroledged groups such as the disabled people, the artisans, the nomads, distance learners, the women etc. who are sometimes subjected to lack of recognition, denial and partial disregard in terms of general access to literacy education are given the opportunity to experience and be identified as students have access to literacy education.
According to Lockwood (2001), about one in every seven society belongs to the above special groups and they meet the criteria which cannot be avoided. The personal worth of every individual irrespectively is the part of the hand care of the likely of the National Policy on Education 1996, revised up to 2004 edition.
Importance of education of special target groups in NCE program in Nigeria
Every child with physical disability should be in special education and have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). It is important that these groups of individuals should be given appropriate teaching and public education. Their intelligence, achievement, and behavioural skills are tested and compered so as to know the outcome of the education process. With the inception of education of special target groups in NCE program, teachers are educated and enlightened on the possible methods to apply in order to help these group of individuals who are under privileged to gain general access to literacy education.
Special education or education of special target groups will help teacher to appreciate the importance of individual differences, knowing that all learners do not develop at the same level or are not likely to learn the same things at the same time. This will help to underscore individual strength and weakness when that is established, teachers can then learn to teach towards the differential learning of all children. Even though piget said that all children go through the same form of sequential observaion