A child with physical impairment could be referred to as one with learning difficulty which requires provision for special education via an Act of parliament.

A child has a “learning difficulty” for the purposes of this Act if he has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his age, or a disability which either prevents or hinders him from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of his age in schools within the area of the local education authority. Or if he is under compulsory school age and is, or would be, if special educational provision were not made for him, likely to fall below his age.

Besides, Special Education could be defined as education of physically or mentally handicapped children whose needs cannot be met in an ordinary classroom.

In Nigeria today, millions of children are roaming the streets begging for alms and other means to survive in life. This societal problem had compelled the Kwara State Government to establish the School of Special Needs formerly known as School for the Handicapped.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the school situated along Old Jebba road has both primary and secondary Schools with hostels, mosque, workshops, water system and standard administration block among others. On  June17, 2011, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed ordered the immediate comprehensive renovation of School for Special

Needs. It was gathered that twelve years after the Kwara State School for Special Needs, Ilorin was last visited by any governor (military or Civilian) Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed broke the jinx when he visited the school and announced the immediate comprehensive renovation of the School.

The governor, who was emotional touched on sighting the status of the hostel buildings in the school, directed that a comprehensive report on the school’s renovation requirement be submitted to his office latest within a week.

The governor who was accompanied on the visit by top government functionaries, disclosed that his visit to the school was to enable him collect first hand information on the school and the areas of needs that requires urgent government attention. He said government would create a platform for skills acquisition so that students of the school can be taught to acquire various vocational skills.

“I have come to see what is available in the school to make life meaningful for the students and get them fully integrated into the society”, he said.

The governor, who also assured teachers and students of the school that teaching facilities in the school would be improved upon, urged the teachers to endeavour to train the students in such a way that they would be able to face future challenges.

According to him, renovation of the school would commence immediately with the critical areas such as the hostel, classroom and laboratories, adding that a substantial part of the renovation work was expected to be ready for commissioning within the first 100 days of his administration.

“I assure you that before the year runs out, you will have a brand new school for Special Needs,” the governor disclosed further, promising that his administration would do everything humanly possible to make the children feel like Nigerians.

In her response, the Principal of the School, Hajia Aisha Raji expressed appreciation on behalf of the management, staff and students to Governor Ahmed for his genuine concern and for making the school the first to be visited since he assumed duty.

The school, according to the Principal, was established in 1974 by the State Government to provide qualitative education for children with special needs with a view to making them self- reliant. Raji, however, appealed for government assistance in the areas of inadequate staffing, food supply, non-availability of science-based laboratories, poor electricity supply, inadequate sporting materials and erosion problem, among others.

Our correspondent who visited the school a year after, observed that the structure of the school has changed, with additional staff, both teaching and non-teaching provided. The School, which located beside the road, is well fenced with four security men working day and night to protect the Special Children in the school.

Similarly, Justice Mustapha Akanbi also pledged an annual donation of N600,000 to the Kwara State School for Special Needs. The former President of Court of Appeal and pioneer Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission(ICPC), announced the donation when he visited the school on the Old Jebba Road, Ilorin, as part of activities marking his 80th birthday.

He pledged to redeem his pledge at a monthly rate of N50, 000, adding that the gesture was his birthday gift to the students.

He said that the way to appreciate God’s favour on him was to spread the hand of fellowship to the less privileged in the society.

Reacting to the gesture, principal of the school, Alhaja Fatima Raji, said the school was saddled with responsibilities in taking care of the students, whom she said, were intellectually-challenged and hearing-impaired.

“In spite of disability, we have a lot of ability in them. What we are doing here is to make sure we train them to become economically-independent after their school programme,” she said.

Raji commended Akanbi for identifying with the students and prayed God to give him good health and long life to enable him do more of selfless service.