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Teachers build capacity on inclusive education

A five-day ‘Capacity Building Training for Teachers on Inclusive Education’ has opened in Accra on Monday.

Organised by Shout Africa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on education, and the Special Education Division of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the programme is aimed at training teachers in public schools on how to effectively teach students with special educational needs along with regular students.

With support from Germany and Ghanaian educators, the event would ultimately promote inclusive education across the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme, Board Chairman for Shout Africa Foundation, Mr Edmund Kyei said, there was the need to ensure children with special needs were not denied education due to their conditions.

“We intend to ensure that education is accessible to all children across the country and teachers must be guided on how to take care of children with special needs,” he stated.

The ongoing pilot programme he said, had over 50 teachers within schools at the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and would be extended to other parts of the country subsequently.

“Many children with special needs are likely to be out of school but we need to put in measures to give same opportunities to all children,” he said.

Teachers he said must be constantly trained to build their capacity to provide quality education to all while encouraging them to play active roles in the project.

On her part, Director of the Special Education Division of the GES, Mrs Bernice Aduo Addae, commended organisers for their efforts in ensuring inclusive education across the country.

“GES management is committed to the inclusive education agenda as children need equal opportunities to develop,” she stated.

She added that, education must be redefined to respond to all children and mandatory for schools in Ghana to practice inclusion.

“We need to reach out to all children and focus on their individual needs. Ghana’s Inclusive Education Policy is to ensure that all children are valued and given equal opportunities,” he said.

With focus on primary schools, she was optimistic that, children would receive the needed education to become responsible adults.

She said, key stakeholders including parents must be encouraged to participate fully and serve as ambassadors of inclusive education. 

Shout Africa Director, Jimmy Eko-Acquah and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Director of Education, Angela Frimpomaa Nkansah also pledged their commitment to the programme.

BY MICHAEL D.ABAYATEYE

                                     

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