GFD urges government to commit to inclusive education
The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has urged government to show more commitment towards inclusive education and make it suitable for the country.
The GFD at the end of a two day post-summit meeting held in Accra, asked government to prioritize the training of teachers across the country, to support inclusive education.
Mr Alexander Bankole Williams, Chairman of the National Advocacy Committee of the GFD explained that, it should be easy for parents of children with disabilities, to enroll their kids nearest schools within their communities and not to travel to look for an inclusive school for their children.
The Government of Ghana in 2018, made commitments at the Global Disability Summit held in London, which aimed at implementing laws and policies, to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
The Government, represented by the then Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba, said among other commitments that, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, was committed to accelerating the implementation of the Inclusive Education Policy, by increasing the provision of infrastructural facilities, to address the diverse learning needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Government also said it would prioritize the training of teachers, to support inclusive schools and special schools and progressively increase the budgetary allocations for inclusive education, by 1.5 per cent beginning in 2019.
The Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations says it would issue a communique to government, on how the organization seeks to engage the government, in dealing with the respective commitments.
The government of Ghana also made commitments to eliminate stigma and discrimination, to increase economic empowerment of persons with disability, to improve technology and innovation, to enhance the lives of women and girls with disability, to mainstream disability needs and concerns in humanitarian activities and to implement the Ghana Accessibility Standards.
The Global Disability Summit 2018, had four core themes; which are dignity and respect for all, inclusive education, routes to economic empowerment and harnessing technology and innovation.
The Department for International Development (DFID) UK and other hosts of the summit are working at the country level, to develop an accountability mechanism, to support and monitor progress made against the new commitments.
Source: GNA