Inclusive Education Model

Inclusion is an educational model that discourages exclusion and stresses the restructuring of institutions, classrooms, and approached to instruction to address and meet assorted needs of all children

(Okeke-Oti, 2009). UNESCO (2005) defined the broad definition of inclusion as: A process of reducing exclusion within and from education and addressing and answering to the diversity of requirements of all learners with the help of accumulative participation in learning, cultures and communities. It encompasses modifications and changes in approaches, content and structures and strategies, with a common objective which includes all children of the appropriate age range and a persuasion that it is the duties of the regular system to provide quality

First, it requires that we need to make sure that all learners should participate fully in the life and work of mainstream setting. Second, it conveys a continuing progression of breaking down hurdles to learning and participation for all children and young people. Third, it suggests a right to fit in the mainstream or a joint undertaking by all the segments of the society and to eliminate discrimination and to work toward equal opportunities for all learners of education. Hence, Ozoji (2005) defined inclusive model of education as an education approach or program carefully planned to educate learners with sundry needs within the mainstream or school, irrespective of their weaknesses and

In the context of this study, inclusive education is taken to refer to the participation of all primary school pupils in a general curriculum. The researcher is aware that inclusive education goes beyond special needs children but this study does not include such other categories of children as those with legal confinement, ethnic minorities and those with social stigmas.

One of the arguments in favour of inclusive education is the realization that every individual is unique, hence the focus must be on the individual and not on the subjects. According to Deiner (1999), if all children are part of regular settings and all children participate in the general curriculum, then all educators need to know sufficient techniques to care for and educate all children. (Unachukwu, Ozoji & Ifelunni, 2008). Inclusive education programme is planned to meet individual educational needs.

Specifically, inclusive education has the following goals according to Ozoji

(2005);

to provide education for children with diverse learning needs within the re-structured school community,

to make special needs children active members of the school community and