By Kodjo Adams, GNA
Accra, April 23, GNA- Civil Society Organisations have called on the Government to allocate at least two per cent of the country’s budgetary spending on inclusive education.
The increase would help in the purchase of teaching and learning materials and assistive technology for children with special needs.
The government’s budget on inclusive education from 2022 to 2026 was less than one per cent, affecting sustained investment in the sector, they said.
A communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting on Advancing Effective, Quality, and Inclusive Education in Ghana said research has found that most schools lacked basic disability-friendly infrastructure such as ramps, accessible toilets, and furniture.
The meeting was jointly organised by the African Education Watch (Eduwatch), a non governmental organisation, and the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), funded by the Star Ghana Foundation.
The stakeholders comprise representatives of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, teachers, Persons with disability groups and development partners.
The two organisations conducted a citizens-led monitoring and rapid assessment of the disability friendliness of selected basic schools in the Northern Region.
It revealed that training for regular teachers on special needs pedagogy was inadequate, leading to difficulties in handling children with diverse needs in mainstream classrooms.
Learning materials and basic technology such as braille and hearing aids for students with disability were lacking in most of the schools.
The communiqué recommended to the Ministry of Education to enforce strict compliance with the standard design of school buildings to enhance access for students with disability to all facilities.
It also urged the National Teaching Council and the Teacher Training Institutions to integrate comprehensive mandatory modules on inclusive education in initial teacher training and ensure continuous professional development.
The communiqué called on the Ghana Education Service to strengthen the data collection system at all levels of education to accurately map and support children with special needs in schools.
Mr Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Eduwatch, acknowledged the effort of the Ministry of Education towards the development of the National Inclusive Education Policy (2015) and its strategic implementation plan (2018-2030).
He said the government’s attempt to integrate special needs education into the basic education curriculum was commendable, calling for urgent action towards the initiative.
Mr Asare, however, urged the government to address challenges and gaps hindering the successful implementation of the inclusive education programme despite the progress made.
Mr Mohammed Mahamud, the Executive Director, CRD, said the findings from the research were to bring to the attention of policymakers the systematic barriers in special education in order to develop strategies to address them.
He called on the Government to prioritise inclusive education as a fundamental human right and pledge to work with stakeholders to ensure that no child was left behind.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
23 April 2026