Secondary School Teachers And Students Perception On The Need, Problems And Implication Of Special Education

Background of the study.
From time to time an individual is born that is unable to function normally in his daily life. Also, from time to time an individual through events in his environment become unable to function normally in his daily activities. Such people are helped to his almost normal lines by educating them in a special way as the case may be. There are also individuals who are born “alone or highly alone normal” who also need special education. Therefore the concept of special education is to give such people as mentioned above the opportunity to become educated and able to be of use of themselves. Special education has undergone rapid changes in recent fears. Presently there are various definitions of special education developing on where each author tried to lay emphasis. However, Warren (2000) noted that special education is in place to provide additional services, support programmes, specialized placement, or environment to ensure that all students educational needs are provided for. According to him, there are many students who have special learning need and these needs are addressed through special education is an educational programs and assignments including special classes and programs and services designed to develop the educational potential of children with disabilities and the exceptionally gifted (Warren, 2000).
The National Policy on education (2004) in defining special education emphasis that:
“Special education is a formal special educational training given to people (children and adult) with special needs”.
Simply put, special education in education within the framework of general education provided for children with special needs, using special facilities, special teachers and material needs and fit into the special education provided for those who cannot benefit properly from the regular educational programme. It aim at rehabiutating children whose ability children whose ability or development and growth deviates from the normal to such an extant that need special education services for them to achieve. The deviation may be so significant that children cannot function adequately within the community or the school. As a result, the children required special education services to enable them develop to the maximum capacity both academically and society.
In Nigeria, the missionaries were the pioneers of education and even when the government became method in education missionaries were still allowed to operate schools and were given grants-in-aids to support the schools. The same interest in educating the general populace was transferred to the handicapped schools were established by the missionaries schools and voluntary organization across the country.
Mba (1981) indicated that one of the earliest attempts at providing formal services to the disabled in Nigeria is traceable to the Topo Industrial School for the maladjusted. The school was established near Badagari by the Roman Catholic Mission in 1876. Abang (1980) reports that the Sudan interior missionaries opened the first school for the blind in the country in Gindin in 1953. These schools are aimed at providing vocational skills for the disabled or handicapped while they were receiving treatment at various special center.
In 1933 the first residential centre for special education was established by the former Kano native authority in the form of a reformatory school to train juvenile delinquents to acquire vocational skills in order to become good and useful citizens. In 1936 the special education centre at Oji River was established by Dr. (Mrs.) D.F Money, Dr. (Rev.) Badeen and Daws for the treatment of leprosy. In 1958 two blind students joined the centre now enrolls physically impaired children and other impaired children who were given some remedial education and vocational training. And in 1956 a group of philanthropist started what was known as Wesley school for the deaf at Yaba Methodist School, Lagos.
Uro (2008) noted that in 1958, Dr and Mrs. R.C. West of the Baptist Mission, Ogbomosho Branch established a centre for the visually impaired. The centre provides vocational training for the blind adults and provide education for the usually impaired youths. In 1965, the child treatment and placement home school and established in Lagos for maladjusted and disturbed children. In 1960, the Ibadan mission school for the deaf was founded by the revered Andrew Foster a black deaf America. Later on, this school was merged with the once started in 1974 by Chief (Mrs.) Oyesolo (M.O.M) as a home for the young deaf. This very school was later renamed the Ibadan School for the Deaf. And in 1962, the per cell school for the blind children was established by he Catholic Mission. The school located in Surulere Lagos is one of the best primary schools for the blind in Nigeria. Presently many child treatment and placement homes or schools have been established in various parts of Nigeria. In addition, departments of special education in the Nigerian Universities have been established. Also, several departments of education offer special education as one of the under graduate courses in order to finish students teachers with skills in identifying, assessing and offering appropriate teaching to handicapped children.

Statement of the Problem.
There are lots of physically handicapped, mentally retarded persons e.t.c, in our streets in the major cities and even in rural areas of the country today. Sufficient facilities have not been put in place to actually provide equal education opportunities for all handicapped children and adults. This is true of the fact that the society claim to be aware of the existence of the disabled, but do not understand their conditions right from the olden days, up till nowadays, the handicapped have had to fight more or less a losing battle to be conceded to live as human beings in the society.
Secondary school teachers, students and even parents see the disabled as being imperfect, dependent and as people brought up in an unusual family environment. They believe that certain reasoning exerting their influence on the family and society, which can shape the attitude of both parents, teachers and other children towards the disabled. This stigma that go along with disability dents the self pride of both parents and children who are victim, and at the same time, disorganizes the ego.
It has been observed that, in the school environment the disproportionate care received by disabled children may incur the aggressive and attention seeking behaviour of other students who feel that such children are giving too much care. They bring this group sentiments into their feeling about disabled, and this in most cases, make them to institutionalize the child so early in life, wish him death, reject him or deprive him of certain rights and experience which they should be exposed to, will consequently deprive them of development as they have fewer situation from which to learn.

Purpose of the Study.
The purpose of this study is to find out the perception of secondary school teachers and students on the needs, problems and implication of special education in Enugu East Local Government area Enugu State.
1. Find out the perception of teachers and students on the problems, needs and implication of special education.
2. Identify the problems of special education in view of finding it in Enugu East.
3. Find out the challenges encountered by students under special education programme in schools.

Significance of the Study.
1. To help correct the misconception of secondary school teachers and students on the problems needs and implication of special education in Enugu East Local Government Area.
2. To help provide for children with special needs using special facilities, specialized teachers and materials and to assist them meet the peculiar needs and fit into the society.
3. That at the end of this research, the result gotten will help to improve the attitude of secondary school teachers and student toward children with special problems both in the school and the community at large.
4. That the research result will also help in the policy making.

Research Question.
The following research question will guides the study.
1. What are perception of students and teachers on the needs and implication of special education in Enugu East Local Government activity?
2. What are problems of special education in the school programme of activity?
3. What are the challenges encountered by students under special education programmes in schools?