The Ekiti State Government has trained 57 mainstream teachers, therapists and special education teachers on inclusive Montessori education as part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of education personnel to support children with special educational needs.
The seven-day capacity-building programme, which ended on Saturday, was held at the Government Special School for Children with Physical and Intellectual Disabilities in Ido Ekiti.
Participants were drawn from inclusive and special schools across the state and were trained on how to implement inclusive curricula, improve learning outcomes and provide effective support for children living with various forms of disabilities.
The programme was designed in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
According to the state government, the training provided participants with relevant knowledge and practical skills to improve teaching, learning and care while creating learning environments where children with disabilities can participate and thrive.
The government has also established adaptive classrooms in selected special and inclusive schools across Ekiti as model sites. The classrooms are equipped with Montessori materials that have been repurposed to support interventions for children with disabilities.
Speaking at the conclusion of the training, the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Adetoun Agboola, said the initiative reflected the commitment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration to ensuring that every child, regardless of disability or learning challenges, has access to quality education.
She said the government was focused on providing children with opportunities to develop their full potential through evidence-based teaching methods and therapy services.
Agboola also noted that Ekiti was the first state in Nigeria to employ speech therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists in public special schools.
She explained that despite the relatively high cost of the Montessori approach, the state government had ensured its adoption for children with disabilities because of its effectiveness in supporting their development alongside therapy services.
The Montessori method was developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori, who initially worked with children with developmental difficulties. The approach has since been adopted in different educational settings as a method that promotes independent learning and tailored interventions.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Michael Omolayo, commended Governor Oyebanji for his continued support for inclusive education and efforts to strengthen the state’s education system.
A resource person at the training, Montessori Directress Mary Robinson, said participants were introduced to the five curriculum areas of the Montessori method and given practical knowledge of how its principles could be applied when teaching children, particularly those with special educational needs.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, the Principal of the Government Special School for the Deaf, Ikoro Ekiti, Mrs Adu Olaide Temitope, thanked the state government for organising the training, describing it as an “eye-opening and valuable experience”.
