Workbook final

2. Education personnel such as head teachers in selected schools, administrators, and other professionals are sensitised

and trained to understand and respond to diverse educational needs.

3. Teachers are oriented in early detection techniques with respect to disabilities and that the referrals are dealt within

a streamlined, efficient and effective manner by the complementary support services.

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Already the policy’s implementation has begun. By 2013, the Inclusive Education (IE) programme has expanded from 29

districts in seven regions in 2011 to 48 districts in all ten regions. The IE programme has included training in usage of

appropriate pedagogy for district staff, head teachers and teachers working with children with special educational needs

(SEN):

Heads and staff of schools have been trained in identifying learners with special needs and disabilities and basic

screening materials for intellectual, vision and hearing screening have been allocated to all

districts/circuits/schools in the 48 districts, implementing Inclusive Education.

At the district levels, circuit supervisors and deputy directors have also been trained in best practices of inclusive

education.

Appropriate education materials and assistive devices have also been distributed to schools, even though not

sufficient.

Teachers, head teachers in 998 schools and parents have been trained on the contents of the policy and are

currently implementing Inclusive Education. Chiefs, Queenmothers, community opinion leaders, parents, media,

non-governmental organisations and other governmental representatives in 48 districts in 10 regions have been

trained on the policy, the roles and responsibilities they need to play. The trainings have created an all-

embracing implementation of the policy.

Along with the Inclusive Education policy, the Ministry approved its implementation plan (including strategies,

outputs, and activities/action), with the support from UNICEF. Standards and guidelines have been drafted but

are yet to be finalised.

To be able to monitor the implementation of the policy, a monitoring tool was developed and is being piloted.

The total budget assigned to the implementation of the Inclusive Education policy was for 2014

In the past decade, there has been growth in the number of public mainstream primary schools and limited

growth in the number of special education schools. In 2003/2004 there was a total of 35 inclusive schools in ten

districts, and in 2008, the number was 129. From 2001 to 2007, there was 51% increased enrollment rate of

pupils to special schools. It seems that inclusive schools show a trend of mostly accommodating children with

mild disabilities and children with moderate or severe disabilities are expected to attend special schools. The

Education Performance Report (2008) indicates that there has been a considerable increase in the number of

special schools from 22 basic schools and 7 units to 200 special education schools (including 129 Inclusive

Education schools). According to UNICEF Ghana (2010) these statistics imply that the educational system has

not been able to implement equitable access to and participation in quality education at all levels, especially