Special needs schools in Osun State have remained closed to students after funding constraints delayed their resumption.
The state government said it lacks enough funds to provide boarding and feeding for the children in the schools located in Osogbo, Ilesa and Iwo.
The development has kept students of the Osun State Secondary School for Students with Special Needs, Osogbo, at home despite the start of academic activities across the state, raising concerns about the continuity of education for children who need specialised learning support.
Earlier reports had highlighted challenges in some of the schools, including inadequate learning equipment, leaking roofs, poor hostel and toilet facilities, and a shortage of personnel to support students requiring specialised attention.
The Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, disclosed the funding challenge on Wednesday during an assessment visit to the school in Osogbo, where he explained that the government could not guarantee the students’ welfare under the current financial situation.
“The non-resumption of the students is due to the unavailability of funds to cater for their boarding and feeding programme,” Eluwole said.
He linked the financial constraints to the non-release of local government allocations by the Federal Government, appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to release the funds due to Osun State.
According to the commissioner, part of the outstanding funds was meant to support the feeding programme for students with special needs, whose educational requirements include adequate accommodation, nutrition and other essential services.
Eluwole dismissed claims that the government was deliberately neglecting the students, insisting that the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke remained committed to providing quality education despite the financial difficulties facing the state.
He explained that recalling the students without making adequate arrangements for their food and other basic needs would be inappropriate, adding that their welfare must be considered before resumption.
The Chairman of the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board, Aremo Adekunle Alao, and its Executive Secretary, Yahaya Bakare, supported the position, maintaining that the students should not return until their welfare could be guaranteed.
The two officials also praised the school’s teachers for continuing to report for duty despite the absence of students, urging them to remain committed to their duties while efforts to address the situation continue.
The school’s principal, Kamil Hussain, alongside two teachers, Temitayo Obadare and Temitope Olaniyi, also commended the state government for its support for the institution.
Meanwhile, reports have indicated that the continued closure of special needs schools across Osun State has also been linked to a Federal High Court order affecting the state’s education sector.
The affected institutions cater for children living with different forms of disabilities, providing specialised teaching, learning materials and facilities meant to meet their individual educational needs.
The prolonged closure has increased calls from parents and other stakeholders for clarification on when the schools will reopen and for measures to prevent further disruption to the children’s education.
The Osun State Bureau for People with Disabilities, established under the state’s disability law, is responsible for promoting the inclusion and protection of persons with disabilities, including making it easier for them to access education and monitoring policies affecting them.
