The Right to Education for Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria through Open and Distance Learning
Keywords:
Internally displaced persons, open and distance learning, education for all goals, the right to education, National Teachers' Institute, National Open University of NigeriaAbstract
The number of people who have been forcibly displaced across Nigeria, either as a result of environmental or conflict- induced factors since the end of military rule in 1999 is estimated to be more than half a million. A distinctive challenge facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) is structural conditions that deny them access to the right to education. The main aim of the study is to investigate the role of open and distance learning in providing access and educational opportunities to the IDPs. The research methodology for this study is constructivist, adopting a case- based approach of the Middle Belt Region, an area known for its ‘crisis of citizenship’ and with the highest number of IDPs. Using two single-mode pen and distance learning institutions: the National Teachers’ Institute and me National Open University of Nigeria, the study investigated how the mounting of certification programmes has significantly affected the Availability, Accessibility; Acceptability and Adaptability framework delineating the content of the right to education for IDPs, otherwise known as the “Four As”. The paper recommends that a comprehensive framework be put in place by the government to deploy accessible educational technologies to give those living in marginalised communities access to education.
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