By Patience Gbeze
Accra, July 20, GNA – Chance for Childhood (CfC) Ghana, an NGO has organised a day’s workshop on identification of special needs for final-year student-teachers of the Accra college of Education (AcCE).
The workshop was a collaboration with the Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE) of Accra College of Education.
It aimed at equipping the student-teachers of the Department to recognise various forms of disabilities, including learning disabilities and other special needs of pupils.
Participants were taken through development delay, impairment, and disability, and various disability identification processes using basic screening tools, such as observation.
Mr Richard Opoku, the Senior Programmes Manager of CfC Ghana, speaking during the workshop underscored the importance of early identification and intervention for children with disabilities.
“Children with disabilities face multiple forms of educational barriers. One of these barriers is the lack of early identification of their disabilities, which hinders their access to education.
“When teachers and educators are trained to identify disabilities in children at early stages of their development, they will be able to provide the children with the right interventions that will enable them to learn and succeed,” Mr. Opoku said.
He, therefore, called for regular training on inclusive education for teachers, educators, and parents.
Mrs Juliana Dontoh, the Vice Principal of AcCE, said the partnership with CfC Ghana had shown the importance the college attached to inclusive education.
She called for more collaboration with CfC to help deepen knowledge and understanding of student-teachers of the college on inclusive education.
Mr Ebenezer Aidoo, the Head of Department of Early Childhood Education of AcCE, expressed the hope that the workshop would adequately prepare the student-teachers to identify disabilities in children when they are posted to teach in their various schools.
He thanked the CfC for the knowledge that impacted the student-teachers.
Chance for Childhood Ghana is a child-centered non-governmental organisation working to promote safe school environment and inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream education.
GNA