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Components of Neo-naturalism relative to inclusive justice
Neo-naturalism is an incarnation of natural law. Accordingly, neo-naturalists’ thoughts have been consistent with the idea of achieving objective good for human beings through practical reasonableness in rule making. This is closely connected to the idea of treating law as an evaluative and prescriptive exercise which obtains its value from a ‘purpose’ morality, by reference to which law, content and by implication policy and practice may be judged. By extension, neo-naturalists support the rule of law which propagates the idea of objective and substantive equality, non-discrimination and dignified human existence. As aptly captured by Ogwurike,30 neo-naturalists’ mission is substantiated by contemporary legal phraseologies which take us back to the idea of right and wrong as well as morality. The question of fundamental human rights, principles of natural justice, equity and good conscience, common good and the text of the reasonable man are all vestiges of the natural law.31 In essence, neo- naturalists’ search for justice has assisted us in imagining substantive justice as a value which must be realised for every individual under considerations of variety and diversity.
Thus, when reference is made to ‘every individual’, we are referring to a human being with flesh and blood; a factual example in nature having a great deal of variations that embody it. Inherent in these human variations are constitutive potential human powers which only begin to manifest in accordance with the patterns of influence and control that are made available in any given society.32 Fincke reminds us that human power ranges in scale and that there are different ways to effectively realise the powers that constitute us.33 Extending Fincke’s ideas further, Finnis insists that it is this power that is synonymous with the objective good that justifies our having moralities in order to maximise, as much as we can, the maximal amount of effective human realisation of potential human powers.34 In articulating the neo-naturalist approach, understanding what moralities are is expedient. Reminiscent of classical naturalism, neo-naturalists’ approach has been described as a moral theory and a theory of law.35 Along this line then, moralities as observed by Fincke draw attention to ‘patterns of thinking, valuing and rule making’ in relation to human lives. In other words, moralities provide the leverage to habituate decision-makers and citizens into making fair judgments that lead towards personal and social empowerment.36 This does not however mean that moralities have fixed identities. But it is to say that morality must come within rational justifiable outcomes or rules.
Early childhood care education
On considerations of morality, no one category of learner is better than the other, rather every child possesses the potential to learn and will learn differently from other peers. However, it needs to be stated that early childhood care and education is considered a critical step in equipping hearing-impaired learners for lifelong learning and development, as it increases self-sufficiency and diminishes a child’s risk of social-emotional academic challenges.110 Early identification (from zero to six months) and early intervention are closely related and are part of the same process towards natural language development for hearing-impaired learners.111 Childhood usually extends from zero to the age of compulsory primary education which is about the age of five.112 Consequently early childhood screening and education assists in exploring different facets of child development as well as learning in order to gain understanding on how to support infants and pre-school learning before the start of formal or informal schooling.113
Early child care and education can be understood as providing education in learner’s most determinative years. This is in line with ‘facilitating integral human fulfilment’ as it encompasses shaping lives and directing choices as reason requires.114 A child at this stage has been identified as steadily discovering different avenues to personal fulfilment.115 The child then uses language not only to explain what he wants but to choose what he wants. Research has shown that early child care and education increases a child’s IQ scores by 4-11 points, improves childhood performance, increases vocabulary acquisition, improves cognitive skills as well as the ability to interact and work with classmates.116 Likewise, from zero to two years has been stated to be a very significant period for cognitive and language development of every child.117 It is also within this period that a hearing-impaired learner is possessed or dispossessed of practices and processes that advance and facilitate healthy language development.118
A brief history of the education of hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria
It is essential to present an outline on the history of education in Nigeria with emphasis on discriminatory practices against hearing-impaired learners. Nigeria as one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa experienced the influence of colonial imperialism for many years and much of its education approach was influenced by their former colonisers.3 With the growth of colonial economic interest, the colonial administrators became interested in establishing schools at the primary school level in parts of Nigeria. However, they were more interested in teaching a select few in order to facilitate their commercial interest, and the schools were mainly male-dominated.4 Educating children with disabilities was not considered a main concern. The coming of the first education ordinance of 1882 within the same period also evidenced the non-prioritisation of education of children with disabilities as the ordinance did not formally provide for or refer to special needs education.5 The content of 1882 education ordinance was greatly influenced by the provisions of the British Education Act of 1844.6
Education of hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria started in the 19th century and was championed by the colonial missionaries.7 The cardinal objective of the colonial missionaries was not the facilitation of the education needs of persons with disabilities as a matter of priority, but to make education compliant to colonial influence and purpose. The missionaries focused mainly on imparting Christian religious education and vocational training.8 At issue also is the fact that most of the missionaries followed the examples of schools in Great Britain and insisted on the use of oral communication method.9 Burton however, notes that some missionaries taught using foreign signed languages that were not relevant to the immediate environment of hearing-impaired learners.10 Either way, there are negative implications. The insistence on oral communication and the enforced use of foreign signed languages in teaching the Nigerian hearing-impaired learner portrays an educational delivery that may not be meeting learners’ needs. This position is reinforced by the fact that early colonial missionaries did not focus on maximising academic gains for persons with disabilities, including hearing-impaired learners.
Chapter 1 Introduction and background to study
1 Introduction
2 Statement of the problem
3 Definition/clarification of terms
4 Research questions
5 Aims and objectives
6 Inspiring literature of reference
7 Scope of the study
8 Methodology
9 Overview of chapters
10 Limitations of the study
Chapter 2 Conceptual centrality
1 Introduction
2 Use of neo-naturalism and social model approaches: Underlying basis
3 Neo-naturalism and social model of disability
4 Social constructions of hearing impairment
5 Prescriptive and directive approach: Practical utility6 Conclusion
Chapter 3 Conceptualising inclusive primary education for hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria
1 Introduction
2 Conceptualising inclusive education for the hearing-impaired learner: Normative values
3 Regular or special schools: Implications for the hearing-impaired learner
4 Universal concepts with inclusive values
5 Conclusion
Chapter 4 Protection of inclusive education of hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria: Analysis of the legal and policy framework
1 Introduction
2 A brief history of the education of the hearing-impaired learner in Nigeria
3 Nigeria’s framework for the education of the hearing-impaired learner: An overview
4 Evaluating the legal framework for protecting the inclusive education rights of hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria
5 Evaluating the policy framework for promoting the inclusive education rights of hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria
6 Conclusion
Chapter 5 Practices found in the education of hearing-impaired learners in Nigerian primary schools
1 Introduction
2 Objectives of the fieldwork
3 Ethical considerations
4 Data Source
5 Fieldwork methodology
6 Questionnaire design/collection of data
7 Presentation of findings
8 Conclusion
Chapter 6 Qualitative analysis of findings: Discursive interpretation
1 Introduction
2 Discursive interpretation
3 Conclusion
Chapter 7 Achieving inclusive justice in education for hearing-impaired learners: Lessons from Canada and South Africa
1 Introduction
2 Content of inclusive equality provisions within the two jurisdictions: Implications for the education rights of learners with disabilities
3 Towards an enhanced equality regime for disability education in Nigeria
4 Conclusion
Chapter 8 Concluding reflections
1 Introduction
2 Central features
3 Further limitations of the study
