Study Of Some Problems Associated With The Education Of The Handicapped Students

INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Education is a societal creation deliberately designed to find solution to the mirage of problems confronting the society. The National policy on education (2004) revised sees education in Nigeria as an instrument “per excellence” for effecting national development. Education is defined to embrace all experiences through which an individual acquires knowledge or ideas, develops his intellect and strengthens his skills.
According to Nzeneri (2008), emphasis is moving towards seeing education as life – long process that is the process of renewing or up – dating knowledge to ensure job security, effective social, political and economic participation, continuous individual growth and development. Education, therefore, is the process of transmitting what is worthwhile to those who are committed to it, whether they are children, Adults or handicapped.

Statement Of Problem
There had been negligence of the education of the handicapped over the past years, until recent time when government in its national policy on education (2004), place emphasis on equal educational opportunity for all citizens of Nigeria at the primary, secondary up to tertiary levels. Both inside and outside the formal school system since the fair consideration, research is been on to identity how best to offer them education so as to suit their handicapped condition. Failure of these various attempts was do to some problems which have not been attended to. In this research work therefore, the researcher investigated these problems hindering the success of this good effort. Example, lack of professionally trained, teachers, lack of teaching equipment such as text books, in – adequate finance, lack of support from the government etc.

Purpose of the Study.
This project was not designed to study all about special education but was to investigate some of the problems associated with its education in Enugu State. The investigated or identify whether:
1. Education of the handicapped persons with retarded in Enugu State
2. To investigate whether special school in Enugu State is well founded.
3. To know whether special school in Enugu State has enough qualified staff for the different categories of handicapped person
4. To identify which schools that have the necessary materials, such as text books, chart projectors etc. and
5. To know or identify the kind of vocational preparation are the handicapped subject to.

Significance Of The Study.
It was observed that general attitude of the people was negative towards our disabled ones who deserved help and sense of belonging rather than mal – treatment and persecution. Hence, the attitude of the general public towards the disabled is positively the greatest single determinant of the psychological effects disability will have on the individuals. This study therefore, is beneficial for the fact that it identifies the problems of the handicapped person in Enugu State, and offered possible solution to them so as to aspire towards building a free democratic society. The findings if properly articulated would place the execution of government plans and policies on handicapped education in a good position to correct the abnormalities on their progrmmes. There helping the nation achieving the much advocated the main – streaming. This can be so because the executions would come to realize the actual plan of the government about the handicapped and their education. This can be educating them to become educated workers. The study further reveals the responsibilities of both the federal and state government toward making enough facilities available for effective teaching.
Finally, the handicapped sense of belonging which have been lost, would be provided with enough opportunities as the non – handicapped counterparts in the society. This would have a good effect on the man – power need of the state and nation in general.

The Scope of the Study
The study covers all the five special school in Enugu State. These include:
1. Rehabilitation centre Enugu
2. Special education centre Orji – River
3. Salvation education centre Enugu
4. Brailla resource centre Enugu.
The study was further extended to secondary schools approved for integration of handicapped in the state. The schools are;
Government Technical College (GTC) Enugu.

Research Question
For the purpose of this study, the following questions or research questions were asked.
1. Are the educations of the handicapped persons retarded in Enugu State?
2. Are the special schools in Enugu State well founded?
3. Do the special schools in Enugu State have enough qualified staff for the different categories of the handicapped student?
4. Do the special schools have necessary materials like charts, projectors, text books, for promoting teaching and learning?
5. What vocational preparations are the handicapped subjected to?

Limitation of the Study
On the process of carrying out this study, a number of limitations were experienced. These include the fact that the research was not able to get more than the hundred and sixty (160) respondents who responded to the questionnaire items. This was partly due to time and financial problems. The time allowed for the study made it possible for the researcher to venture beyond the perimeter of Enugu Senatorial zone in the process of data collection. Again, due to nonchalant attitude of some respondents, the researcher could not get full opinion on some of the questionnaire items.

Definition of Terms
The researcher sees the need to define the following words as to allow the work to be easily understood without any difficulty for the reader.
Study: According to Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary define it as “the activity of learning or gaining knowledge, either from books or by examining things in the world”.
Problems: The word problem is a perplexing questions demanding settlement of a difficulty and uncertain nature with unknown solution. Problem could have other stretches of meaning depending on the context. It could mean a question set for solution, it could in other situation mean any puzzling circumstance of person. In another manner, it could involve moral, educational and sociological questions needing solution or answer.
Education: Education is a societal creation deliberately designed to find solutions to the mirage of the problems confronting the society. Also he same Oxford Dictionary defines it as a process of training and learning, especially in schools colleges, to improve knowledge and develop skills.
Handicapped Students: Handicapped are pupils or adult who have deformed part of the body or appearances for example, poor sight, the deaf, ill health and disability. Again Kirks (2005) defines handicapped students as those persons who deviate from the average or normal person in several characteristics for example, muscular or physical characteristics, social or emotional behavior in communication abilities.
Enugu State: Enugu State is the state among the 36 states of the federation. The state is a region in the tropical forest which posses through the tropical rain forest of the green belt of Nigeria and stretches out into the Savannah region. It has about (17) Local Government Areas respectively. The state has rich and vast agricultural land with mineral resources such as coal, and lime stone, and its population estimate of about 5, 273, 360. People living in the area of approximately 16, 727.1 land.

Summary Of The Issues Rose
In this entire chapter is the introduction of the paper which carries the statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, the limitation of the study, the scope of the study, research questions and definition of terms. The next chapter will be however, focus on the literature review.