Discriminatory and Non-discriminatory Practices Influencing Education and Educational Outcomes of Children with Disabilities in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria

This research sought to examine discriminatory and non-discriminatory practices influencing education and educational outcomes of children with disabilities in North Central geo-Political zone. The study adopted a survey research design. The sample included 400 teachers from the 2 select states through simple random sampling techniques to respond to the questionnaire and 20 children with disabilities through purposive sampling techniques interviewed. Mean and standard deviation ratings were used to answer the research questions, t-test and ANOVA statistics were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that to enhance educational and educational outcomes of CWDs, all forms of discriminatory practices must be reduced to the barest minimum while inclusive education and all other forms of non-discriminatory practices must be enhanced to encourage CWDs education and performance; discriminatory practices hinders education, educational outcomes and performance of children with disabilities and non-discriminatory practices promotes education, educational outcomes and performance of CWDs. Some of the recommendations were: formulation of reasonable policies to promote CWDs education, with accompanying strategies for effective implementation of the policies; increase of funding for the erection of physical structures that address the plight of CWDs, provision of relevant resource materials that include professional teachers development, assistive learning and teaching aids; supply of necessary resources and facilities, including physical infrastructures like buildings, classrooms, trained educators, and supportive teaching technologies to meet the requirements of CWDs among others.