EVALUATION OF CHALLENGES FACING PLANNING OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN F.C.T, ABUJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study evaluated the challenges facing the planning of special education in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nigeria. The study used survey design method. The study was carried out in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. Researchers employed the used of random sampling technique to select the sixty respondents from the entire population of educational planners working in different planning units in all the six area councils in FCT for the study. The simple random sampling (lottery) method was used to select 60 respondents on the basis of proportional representation. Six-item questions Questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The questionnaire was tagged; “An Investigation into Challenges Facing Planning of Special Education in FCT Questionnaire” [AICFPSEQ] was formulated by the researchers to collect data for the study. AICFPSEQ had two section. Section A solicited for bio-data information of the respondents while the section B collected information on the subject matter. Six research questions were used for the study. A four point rating scale was adopted and is shown as follows: Strongly Agree (SA) = (4points) Agree (A) = (3 points) Disagree (D) = (2 points) Strongly Disagree (SD) = (1 point). The researchers used test, retest method to determine the reliability of the instrument. SPSS (Statistical Package of Social Sciences) software for data analysis and percentage, mean and standard deviation was used for data analysis. The cut-off point for decision was 2.50 based on a four point rating scale. The decision rule therefore was that any item with mean score of 2.50 and above were considered high responses while items whose mean score were below 2.50 were regarded as having attracted low responses. The result collected, analyzed and interpreted led to the conclusion that inadequate funding, inadequate data/information, political instability, changes of educational policies, poor capacity development of planners, and inadequate professional educational planners are problems facing planning of special education in FCT. Based on this finding, the researchers hereby recommended that the government should increase the funding of planning special education in FCT, ensure adequate planning tools are provided, credible and up to date data are made available, conducive working environment is provided among other things.