INCLUDING THE EXCLUDED: A NECESSITY FOR BUILDING INCLUSIVEEDUCATION LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The truth of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-4) is centred on inclusion of learners with diverse needs in general education classroom so as to afford them the opportunity of receiving instruction under the same roof with their counterparts without special educational needs. Regrettably, some schools in Nigeria still struggle with the aforementioned veracity by providing instructions for learners with diverse needs in a special or separate classroom setting which is the good gospel of inclusive education. Consequently, it is expedient to include the excluded and have a paradigm shift to embrace an inclusive education learning environment that will erase labeling, segregation and stigmatization of learners with diverse needs in Nigeria. This article is anchored on Contact theory of Gordon Allport which aims at promoting positive attitude and participation of learners with diverse needs. In light of this, this paper discusses the including the excluded: a necessity for building inclusive education learning in Nigeria.