Abstract:

Special education aims at equalizing educational opportunities for all children irrespective of handicap and making special needs children contribute their quota to national development. Nigeria has 3,253,169 persons with disabilities. This number is outrageous considering the apathy government shows to special needs children. This apathy is there irrespective of the promises of free education and provisions of facilities for special needs children. The apathy may be attributable to the several and various categories of handicapped ones. Disability/handicapped portend a disadvantage as to the provision of the basic needs – food, clothing, shelter etc, for oneself or making useful contributions to the society. Hence most of these handicapped ones are in extreme poverty and hunger. The handicapped are challenged because they have difficulties in mobility and educational pursuits yet the government pays lip service to the education of these children. Some members of the public have established institutions to aid the educational development and the acquisition of skills by these disabled ones. This is to enhance employment opportunities for the special needs children. This opportunity of being educated has removed some of the handicapped who engaged in begging from the streets. The belief that disability is spiritually caused makes it even difficult for some on the streets to receive presents from members of the public. Enugu state has a total of 73615 persons with disabilities by 2006 population census. Enugu North and Enugu East local government areas on which this study is focused have a total population of 9583 disabled persons. If this group cannot be catered for nor given the opportunity to extricate themselves from poverty - the first MDG objective of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger will not be achievable and the post 2015 development Agenda will be null and void. Government and Private Institutions of the handicapped exist side by side in Enugu state. There is the need to study these institutions with a view to understanding what they do and how the handicapped are nurtured to face the future. Where are the products of these institutions? Are they self reliant? Are they able to get the basic necessities of life for themselves and members of their immediate families? This paper assesses the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger through a comparative study of Government and Private educational institutions of the special needs children in Enugu State of Nigeria. these institutions are Special School for the Deaf Ogbete, Enugu and Therapeutic Day Care Centre Abakpa a private special school that practices inclusive education. It will also consider the challenges and opportunities for post 2015 development Agenda, by determining the skills the handicapped acquire from these institutions.

Keywords:

Poverty, Special Needs, Institution, Challenges, Expectations, Practices.