MAJOR CONSTRAINTS TO EDUCATION OF SPECIAL TARGET GROUP

INTRODUCTION Education remains central in Nigerians social and economic development. The role of education has been adequately acknowledged in the literature. Education serves as the springboard for social and economic change. All who have meditated on the act of governing man-kind have been convinced that the fate of empire depends on the education of the youths. The National Policy on education accent that education is the right of every child and should be brought close to the environment of the child. What do we mean by 'special target groups'? The special target groups are pupils with significant limitations in terms of activity and participation in one or more areas of life due to permanent functional and structural issues, which result in continued difficulty in terms of communication, learning, mobility, autonomy, interpersonal relationships and social involvement. Those special target groups consists of children of nomadic pastorals, migrant fishermen’s, migrant farmers, hunters, traders. They all referred to as migrant since they can move from one place to another in search for their life better. THE FOLLOWING ARE MAJOR CONSTRAINTS TO EDUCATION OF SPECIAL TARGET GROUP 1. Cultural differences 2. Language differences 3. Resource constraints 4. Lack of information 5. Psychological difficulties 6. Lack of instructional material Cultural differences Cultural differences that cause difficulties in assimilation and also lead to prejudice and xenophobia against migrant families are common deterrents from receiving equal educational opportunities. These prejudices can be formalized by restrictive regulations, or they can be informal but negatively affect the learning atmosphere of a school. Students who don't feel welcome or wanted because of their migrant status are less likely to remain in school. Additionally, students who struggle with cultural adjustment often fail to form connections and make friends in school, which affects their academic achievement. Language differences This is a major problem with significant implications for migrants' written and oral communication, particularly when migrants and refugees come from countries whose native language shares nothing in common with the English language such as Asian, African or Eastern European languages. Lack of information Migrant parents are often unaware of their children's right to education or are unfamiliar with the structure of the local public education system. For example, many migrant farm worker parents do not know they have a right to hold copies of their children's transcripts and school records, which are needed to enroll students in new schools. This makes transferring schools more difficult, taking time away from the student's education. After moving to a new place, parents must focus their energy on finding work and providing for their families, which often means that they do not have time to explore educational options for their children. Additionally, most migrant parents speak a different language, which also affects their ability to receive information. Psychological Difficulties - Trauma and other psychological difficulties are common among migrant populations, especially refugees who are forced into migratory status due to political, social, or religious turmoil at home. Adjustment to a new culture, language, and home is also difficult and can lead to psychological strain on migrant families. - Another factor contributing to increased rates of depression and anxiety among migrant youth is discrimination in school. In study, the demographic that faced the most psychological difficulties were migrant teenage boys who had experienced discrimination in school and/or domestic conflict. Lack of instruction materials The most often cited problems are inadequate number of teachers and instructional materials, underfunding and failure of state and local government to play their statutory roles as specified in the approved guidance on the operation of nomadic education (NCNE 1999). One of the problems of nomadic education is in adequate funding. This has in turn adversely affected the programme, particularly in terms of the provision of instructional materials and facilities and the production and distribution of the nomadic curriculum and pupil’s texts. These are either inadequate or totally nonexistent in nomadic schools. Another serious problem is inadequate teacher supply and poor quality of teachers in nomadic schools. Up to 53% of the teachers do not possess the minimum teaching qualification. Indiscrimination transfer of teacher from nomadic school to conventional schools (without replacement), by Local Government Education Authority.   REFERENCES 1. Aleyidieno, S. (1982). Education and Occupational Diversification among Young Learners. The Problem of Harmonizing Tradition Practices with the Lessons of our Colonial Heritage. Processing of a Seminar held in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 2. Awogbade, M. (1980). Livestock Development and Range use in Nigeria. Proceeding of a Conference held in Nairobi by Institute of Development Studies. 3. Awogbade, M;(1982). Prospects to settlement of the Pastoral Fulani. The case Study of Rumakukar-Jangari. C.S.E.R. Research Report (9). 4. Ismail, I. (1999). From Normalism to Sedentarism, An Analysis of Development Constraints and •Public Policy Issues in the Socio-economic Transformation of the Pastoral Fulani of Nigeria Published in Zumuta Assoc