SEO Riders:
- – Dr. Akhere Aghedo-Akran emphasizes inclusion as a right, not charity
- – Calls for collaborative teaching to foster equitable education
- – Highlights the need for systemic changes to support all learners
On May 7, 2025, Dr. Akhere Aghedo-Akran, an inclusive educator, highlighted the necessity of unwavering commitment from educators to realize Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) in Nigeria. SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
In an interview in Lagos, Dr. Aghedo-Akran stressed that genuine inclusion in education requires more than token efforts. She advocated for a shift from competition to collaboration within schools, noting that hyper-competitive environments can undermine students’ mental health and foster unhealthy rivalries. “Inclusion is neither a favour nor an afterthought, but rather a right for every learner and a shared responsibility among all educators and stakeholders,” she stated.
Dr. Aghedo-Akran urged educators to ensure that every child is not only physically present in the classroom but also actively engaged, participating in lessons, forming friendships, and gaining the confidence to tackle life’s challenges. She emphasized that SDG 4 should be the heartbeat of the collective mission in education, advocating for systemic changes such as modifying timetables, teaching methods, assessments, and classroom layouts to accommodate all learners.
She concluded by highlighting the importance of recognizing each child’s unique strengths and designing lessons that allow them to thrive, stating, “Our role as educators and parents is to nurture potential, not to fit every child into the same standardized mould.”
