Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has reaffirmed his commitment to prioritizing special education, aiming to alleviate the burden on parents and guardians and enhance access to education. Dr. Bawumia announced plans to recruit and train at least 1,000 additional special education teachers in language, speech therapy, occupational, and behavioral therapy.
He made this commitment during a donation ceremony at Akropong in the Eastern Region, where he presented laptops to visually impaired teachers and ICT laboratories to the Akropong School for the Blind and the Wa Methodist School for the Blind. The Vice President emphasized the importance of integrating ICT into the education system to create a more interactive and engaging learning environment for all students.
He expressed hope that the students would maximize the opportunity, acquiring skills that would enhance their academic performance, open doors to career paths, and foster personal growth. Dr. Bawumia plans to replicate this model in other special schools nationwide, ensuring no child is left behind in the pursuit of educational excellence.
In May 2022, the Ghana Education Service launched a manual on inclusive education, “Changing perspectives: Inclusive schools in inclusive communities,” to guide teacher training and special child education. The manual aligns with the country’s Inclusive Education policy objectives, including transforming special institutions into resource centers for assessment, Universal Design for Learning, and teacher training.
Dr. Bawumia emphasized the need to prioritize children with special needs and achieve Sustainable Development Goal four, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. He described the Akropong School for the Blind as a pioneer in special education and announced his intention to champion a revolution in special education, leveraging the World Bank-funded manual developed by Ghanaian experts.
