Oyo State government on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, distributed educational equipment worth millions of naira to the 21 public special primary schools and 12 public special secondary schools in the state.
The distribution exercise was held at Ministry of Education, Ibadan, the state capital.
Some of the items distributed were Perkins Braille, manual typewriter, Index everest braille embosser, Duxbury braille translator, Universal braille kit, Talking calculator, Reams typing paper, Walking sticks/mobility cane, JAWS for Windows (single interface), 5KVA generator.
Others were Braille math blocks, Braille alphabet chart, Braille letter keychain, Audio meter, Overhead projector, hearing aids, Joy singing 3rd edition, HP desktop, educative toys, charts, Domino cube puzzle, first aid boxes, mattresses, VCD, crutches and regular wheel chairs.
While speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said the equipment were distributed to the schools based on the type of disabilities peculiar to the students to make teaching and learning easy and explicit.
He added that the beneficiaries should reciprocate the kind of gesture by taking care of the equipment and make judicious use of them.
He said the Seyi Makinde-led government would, in its effort, ensure that special pupils/students have equal educational opportunities and operate on the same page with their counterparts in regular schools.
“The state government under the able leadership of His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde, would not relent in his efforts to ensure that special needs pupils/students have equal educational opportunities and operate on the same page with their counterparts in regular schools.
“The target of the government on qualitative education and its zero tolerance for mass promotion would not be realised if teachers, particularly those in special schools, are teaching without necessary educational equipment and materials. It’s for this reason that the state government has expended a quantum of money to procure educational equipment to be distributed into 33 public special primary and secondary schools in the state based on the type of disabilities peculiar to their students/pupils to make teaching and learning easy and explicit.
“The beneficiaries should reciprocate this kind gesture of government by taking very good care of the equipment, being dedicated to their studies and proving to the whole world that there is ability in disabilities,” he said.
Also speaking, Executive Assistant on Persons with Disability, Barrister Adekanmbi Sunday Ayodele, appreciated Governor Makinde for his love, kindness and goodwill towards persons living with disabilities, adding that he was the only governor who mentioned persons living with disabilities in his inaugural speech.
Adekanbi noted that this gesture was last witnessed in 2009, urging teachers to take good care of equipment and make use of it judiciously.
He also urged people living with disabilities to keep supporting the Seyi Makinde-led government.
