INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY - sapghana.com

1 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY . i INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY . This POLICY has been developed by the Government of Ghana - Ministry of EDUCATION , INCLUSIVE EDUCATION . supported by UNICEF, STAR Ghana and Ghana Blind Union. POLICY . MINISTRY OF EDUCATION . For a full copy of the INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY , or if you have concerns related to learners with special educational needs, please contact: the Special EDUCATION Division (SpED) of the Ghana EDUCATION Service (GES). P. O. Box M45, Accra, Ghana. Tel +233 270172877. Website: or Ministry of EDUCATION , Box M45, Ministries, Accra-Ghana, Tel. +233 302 666070. Design: Art Excel GH Cover Photo: UNICEF/GHANA 2013/SANDRINE BOHAN-JACQUOT. iii INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY . MLGRD Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development ACRONYMS.

2 NCPD National Council for Persons with Disability CBR Community Based Rehabilitation NGOs Non Governmental Organizations CBRC Community Based Rehabilitation Centre PTA Parents and Teachers Association CBRP Community Based Rehabilitation Programmes PWDs Persons with Disabilities CFS Child Friendly Schools SEN Special Educational Needs CHRAJ Commission for Human Rights and Administrative SMC School Management Committee Justice SPAM School Performance Appraisal Meetings CSOs Civil Society Organizations SpED Special EDUCATION Division DA District Assembly SPIP School Performance Improvement Plan DACF District Assembly Common Fund TVIs Technical and Vocational Institutions DIET District INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Team UDL Universal Design for Learning DPs Development Partners UN United Nations DSW Department of Social Welfare UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural ECCE Early Childhood Care and EDUCATION Organization EFA EDUCATION For All UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund EMIS EDUCATION Management Information System ESP EDUCATION Strategic Plan FBO Faith Based Organization GES Ghana EDUCATION Service GFD Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations IE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IEMT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Monitoring Tool IEPs Individualised Educational Plans LEAP Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDAs Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDGs Millennium Development Goals MMDAs Metropolitan, Municipal.

3 And District Assemblies MoE Ministry of EDUCATION MoF Ministry of Finance MoGCSP Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection MoH Ministry of Health iv v INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY . MONITORING AND EVALUATION 20. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Central Level Monitoring 21. ACRONYMS iV Regional and District Level Monitoring 21. FOREWORD Viii School Level Monitoring 21. Community Level Monitoring 21. INTRODUCTION 1. Data Collection and Research 22. Country Context 1. The POLICY and Governance Context 3 FINANCING 22. The POLICY Development Process 3 REVIEW OF THE POLICY 22. POLICY GOAL 3 Annex 1: Glossary of Terms Inclusion 4 (Interpretation and Definitions) 23. Special Educational Needs 4. Annex 2: Glossary of Conceptual Learner Diversity 4.

4 Frameworks for the IE POLICY 25. GUIDING PRINCIPLES 5 Annex 3: National and International OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES 5 Policies Underpinning the IE POLICY 27. POLICY Objective 1 5. Annex 4: Monitoring Checklist of the POLICY Objective 2 6. Inclusion of Students with SEN 30. POLICY Objective 3 7. POLICY Objective 4 9. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 9. Stakeholders' Roles & Responsibilities 9. Ministries, Departments and Agencies 10. Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies 18. PTAs/School Management Committees 18. Non Governmental Organisations /. Philanthropists 19. Traditional Authorities 19. Development Partners 20. Private Sector 20. vi vii INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY . training to tertiary. In 1951, a POLICY FOREWORD INTRODUCTION called Accelerated Development Plan was introduced.

5 This Plan The INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY defines the strategic path of the government EDUCATION in Ghana is a right for all affected EDUCATION in many ways, for the EDUCATION of all children with special educational needs. This POLICY citizens. The INCLUSIVE EDUCATION for example, it brought a rapid builds upon sections in the 1992 Constitution, the National Development (IE) POLICY is based on the value increase in enrollment in primary Agenda, the EDUCATION Strategic Plan and International Commitments to system which holds that all schools; emergency teacher achieve national as well as international goals for creating an environment persons who attend an educational training was introduced; and a for addressing the diverse educational needs of Ghanaians.

6 Institution are entitled to equitable large number of pupil teachers access to quality teaching and This POLICY is the outcome of a series of discussions and consultations were appointed. Facilities for learning and which transcends between numerous stakeholders in the EDUCATION sector. The contribution middle, secondary and technical the idea of physical location but of state actors particularly the Ministry of EDUCATION , the Ghana EDUCATION schools were greatly increased. incorporates the basic values that Service, the Ministry of Health, the National Council for Persons with Such educational provisions promote participation, friendship Disability and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social protection are continued until Ghana achieved and interaction1.

7 Acknowledged. independence in 1957. This This POLICY recognizes the varied means that prior to independence;. The involvement of non-state actors such as the UNICEF, STAR Ghana, learning needs of learners and a strong foundation had been laid Inclusion Ghana, Ghana Blind Union, the Ghana Federation of Disability requires all stakeholders in the for EDUCATION . Organisations, the Ghana National EDUCATION Campaign Coalition, and the EDUCATION sector to address the World EDUCATION have been crucial to the development of this POLICY . They diverse needs of different groups of The government realizing that are duly acknowledged and appreciated. citizens in the Ghanaian EDUCATION EDUCATION was important in national system under the universal design development introduced another This POLICY will respond to changing priorities and national aspirations as well for learning and within a learner POLICY , the EDUCATION Act of 1961.

8 As international development trends in provisions for INCLUSIVE EDUCATION . It friendly environment for all. This Act made primary and middle will therefore be revised every five years. schools free and compulsory for Country Context I therefore wish to thank my senior officials and technical staff in the MoE all children. This new directive and all those who took part, for their committed efforts during the preparation Since Ghana's independence, meant that all children of school- stages. successive governments in Ghana going age should be found places have recognized the indispensable in school. The system therefore I wish to take this opportunity to recommend this INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY role which EDUCATION plays in introduced some decentralization to all those who support EDUCATION development in Ghana.

9 The country's socio-economic in the provision of EDUCATION . development. Accordingly, some Later on, the 1992 Constitution measures have been and continue of Ghana also required that to be taken to expand EDUCATION at basic EDUCATION became free and all levels. The evolution of EDUCATION compulsory for all Ghanaians of in Ghana since its beginnings in the school going age by the year 2005. nineteenth century has involved Although this POLICY was very all levels of EDUCATION from pre- laudable, it has not been possible Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang Minister for EDUCATION , 2015 school, primary, middle (now junior for all Ghanaians of school-going high), secondary, and teacher age to have access to school as 1. Act 778, Section 5: Ghana Government, 2008 viii 1.

10 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY . yet. Learners with disabilities who the overall well-being of all The POLICY and Governance POLICY recognised the multi- form a significant proportion of learners, should be our goal. Context sectoral nature of EDUCATION the out-of-school population were This POLICY draws on a number and so undertook to engage However, many of the strategies all stakeholder groups in public not catered for. In order to realize articulated in national plans have of national and international the goal of full enrollment and commitments to the provision of institutions, civil society, the fallen far short in achieving their private sector, and the community. completion, EDUCATION for learners objectives due to limited resources.