EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE EDUCATION OF THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGE CHILDREN

1.1 Introduction

A physically challenged child may be defined as a child who has disability of locomotors or neurological origin which constitutes disadvantages or restrictions in one or more aspect of daily living activities. It may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory and emotional type. The disability may be congenital or acquired. Oxford dictionary defined disabled as people with permanent illness or injury that makes it difficult for them to use part of their body completely or easily. Also, Child Right Act Law (2006) defines a child as person who has not attained the aged of eighteen (18) years. Therefore, the physically challenged children are under age that needs to be nurtured and assisted to overcome physically, emotional and mental challenges to develop into responsible adults.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

It is an established fact that the importance of education to the development of any society cannot be over emphasized. The development of any society depends heavily on its level of education. According to Adelowo (2006) Education is the aggregate of all the processes by which a child or a young adult develops the abilities, attitudes and other forms of behavior which are of positive value to the society in which he lives. Dewey (2006) maintains that, education is wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning undertaken in the belief that all should have the chance to share in life.

Disabled children in such situations are not always neglected (O’Toole & McKonkey, 2015). Estimates of the prevalence and severity of nutritional deficits among disabled children are complicated by the fact that physical disabilities will interfere with standard anthropometric measurements. For example, conditions such as kyphosis or bent legs can compromise the accuracy of standard height or length measurements and the extra arm exercise involved in using walking aids in some polio survivors can affect mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) results. Although international guidelines suggest disregarding anthropometric results from disabled children (United Nations, 2006), these children have the same right to good nutrition as non-disabled children so it is important to solve these measurement problems.

Individuals are usually considered physically at normal stage according to their health issue when they do work in daily routine and having no unusual concern related to children, which need attention to fulfill the any kind of task. Fundamental proficiencies are required at vast level to strive for maximum mass in routine activities, so in social aspect such qualities are considerable which enhance the self-determining as dominate factor in personality. Infirmity introduced when they failed to get biological adaptability in the way compared to other people, such kind of deficiency is called disability. Such aspects introduced deficiencies to the individual differently. However, few individuals who are prevented from acquiring this natural versatility because of a defect result in a disability. So, this disability usually leads to handicap when it retards, distorts or adversely affects the normal development and adjustment to life (Hunzai, 1993).

Similarly, Adedoja (2005) maintains that, education is the training of the entire person to enable him not only to be able to read and write or proficient in a given job, but also to enable him to fit himself for living in a society. Ahmad (2008) education is the process by which an individual born into a human society, learn the ways of life, which include knowledge, skills and values of the society, at home community and schools, so that he can function effectively as a member of the given society (Abosi, 2007).

In view of the above, it is therefore necessary to provide education for every member of the society regardless of any difference in order to achieve maximum development. In an attempt to provide education for all, the United Nations through the United National Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNICEF), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNESCO) and other agencies are making efforts to make sure that all children received necessary education that will make them responsible members of the society. Government of different countries, non-governmental organizations are also making effort in this regard.

Therefore, in Kebbi State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to examine the Parental Attitudes towards the Education of the Physically Challenge Children in Argungu Local Government Area.

1.3 Statement of Problems

There is an increasing global interest in the links between the malnutrition and the physically challenged children in Nigeria. Because they both share many common features, there is hope that closer links and stronger working relationships between the two fields could lead to important synergies and mutual benefits: both fields address global problems affecting large numbers of often vulnerable individuals, including children and adults: some one billion people worldwide are malnourished, and around one billion live with a disability; both are related to key human rights: the right to food, a key determinant of nutritional status, is articulated in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25); the General Comment on the Right to Food specifically mentions the rights of people with disabilities to have physical access to adequate food; the right of all children to adequate nutrition is laid out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child which has been ratified by all but two countries. Since health care for individuals with physical challenges requires specialized knowledge acquired by additional training, as well as increased awareness and attention, adaptation, and accommodative measures beyond what are considered routine. This researcher intends to evaluate the health status of physically challenged children in school of special needs in Nigeria.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Parental Attitudes towards the Education of the Physically Challenge Children. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the parental attitude towards physically handicapped children.
2. To measure the difference in parent’s attitude towards physically handicapped children.
3. To assess the impact of children gender and age with perceived social support.
4. To identify the male and female parent’s attitude towards physically handicapped children.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does parents have favorable attitude towards their physically challenge children?
• Is there any existing relationship between parental attitude and perceived family support of children?
• Does mothers have more positive attitude towards their physically challenge children compared to the fathers of physically challenge children?
• Does elderly parents have more positive attitude towards their physically challenge children than the parents of younger age?
• What are the parental attitudes towards physically handicapped children?
• What are the different measures in parent’s attitude towards physically handicapped children?
• What is the impact of children gender and age with perceived social support?
• What are the attitudes of male and female parent towards physically handicapped children?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

• H₀1: Parents does not have favorable attitude towards their physically handicapped children.
• H₀2: There is no significant relationship between parental attitude and perceived family support of children.
• H₀3: Mothers does not have more positive attitude towards their physically handicapped children compared to the fathers of physically handicapped children.
• H₀4: Elderly parents does not have more positive attitude towards their physically handicapped children than the parents of younger age.

1.7 Significance of Study

The rational of the study was to ascertain the relationship of parents’ towards their special needs children and perceived social support. The research study will be advantageous to the parental guide and for positive social attitude towards those handicapped children. This study will help in those approaches and strategies that integrate the parental attitude. Side by side present study will establish and be helpful to overcome all those social factors, which discourage the crippled children to enhance the child performance and learning capabilities.

It is unbelievable to discover that many parents in this era still lack the fundamental idea or basic knowledge of malnutrition effect on the health of their children. It is believed that at the end of this study the findings will be of utmost benefits to every parent on the need to checkmate the nutritional level in their daily diets.

To health care practitioners for a need to intensify their awareness campaign against malnutrition, to all expectant mothers, nursing mothers and the general public. To teachers in taking up the challenge to further educate these impaired children and stress the importance of balance diet to both parents and children who are ignorance those variable that have effects on physically impaired children health.

To the government in making provisions on the concept of good health on the physically impaired children in school of special needs. Finally, the findings of this study will serve as a reverence material to scholars who intend to embark on a research of this nature.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of this research is focused on the Examination of Parental Attitudes towards the Education of the Physically Challenge Children in Argungu Local Government Area, Kebbi State, Nigeria.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

Physically challenged: physical disability is a limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina, other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders, blindness, epilepsy and sleep disorders.