The Ministry of Education has approved a new national policy backed by a GH₵20 million budgetary allocation to procure assistive technologies and devices for learners with special needs across Ghana.
The announcement was disclosed by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus on Disability and Deputy Education Minister, Hon. Dr Clement Apaak, following briefings from sector ministries during a two-day parliamentary workshop in Accra.
Dr Apaak revealed that alongside the GH₵20 million device fund, the government has allocated an additional GH₵24 million to rehabilitate and upgrade three major special education institutions into modern, technology-driven centres of excellence.
Under the initial phase of the infrastructure intervention:
• Akropong School for the Blind has been allocated GH₵8 million.
• Savelugu School for the Deaf has been allocated GH₵8 million.
• Wa Special School (Blind/Deaf) has been allocated GH₵8 million.
“There is a lot going on to ensure that persons with disabilities benefit from the public resources available to all citizens,” Dr Apaak explained. “Each of these three schools has been allocated GH₵8 million to upgrade their facilities to modern standards with needed technologies, and we hope to build on that going forward.”
Addressing concerns regarding higher education, Dr Apaak acknowledged that while the government’s ‘No-Fee Stress’ policy is functioning effectively for PWDs in public tertiary institutions, qualified PWDs enrolled in private universities or outside the formal system are frequently left behind.
To resolve this gap, Dr Apaak, who also serves as the Deputy Minister for Education Committee – announced that the Caucus will meet with the Minister for Education to streamline access.
In the interim, he urged PWDs in private institutions to apply for GETFund scholarships through the National Scholarship Authority, promising that parliamentary leadership will ensure applicants with disabilities are prioritised.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
