She called for an acceleration of their respective efforts to ensure the successful and effective implementation of the IE across the country.

 Madam Otiko, threw the challenge in an address at a National Policy dialogue jointly organised by the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) and TV3 in Accra on Thursday, on the theme: “Ghana’s Inclusive Education Policy: Time for Full Implementation”.

The Gender Minister stated that it was not enough to enact such a Policy together with its Strategic Implementation Plan, and launch them with all the pageantry, only for it to remain inactive years on, with very little being done to mainstream IE in all educational institutions across the country.

She therefore called for sustained collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Special Education Division, parents, communities, non-governmental organisations, Persons with Disabilities and their representative organisations, to mobilise the required resources to deal with the challenges of implementing IE, and scale-up  the policy across the country.

She however said IE was currently being piloted in 20 Focus Districts in seven regions, including the Greater Accra, Central, Volta, Eastern, Northern, Upper East and the Upper West, with a total of 16,310 children with special educational needs being beneficiaries of the scheme.

 The creation of a forum like this to take stock and determine its scaling up throughout Ghana was commendable, she said.

Madam Otiko explained that the Government through the Special Education Division (SpED) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), prior to the Policy framework, had implemented IE on pilot basis in three regions involving the Eastern, Greater Accra and Central, and by the end of 2011 had reached 529 schools in 34 districts.

She said several activities including the sensitistion of communities and key government officials, screening of school children, training of teachers on identification of children with special needs including those with disabilities, and managing children with disabilities in classrooms were undertaken under the programme, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service.

Madam Otiko said the achievements of the IE were that it has brought education closer to some children with disabilities, enlightened some parents and communities to embrace the concept, and ensured the inclusion of children with disabilities in the social activities in communities, while reducing the negative societal perception of disability.

 There has also been a focused attention on the educational needs of children with disabilities, which used to be non-existent in previous years.

 She however stated that the implementation of the policy was without challenges, key among them being the lack of funding, large class sizes for effective delivery of IE, the unwelcoming school environment for easy movement of children with disabilities, the hostile attitudes of some teachers and pupils, as well as the uncooperative attitude of some parents, families and communities.

 She expressed the hope that the dialogue would bring out valuable contributions to assist the government to fully implement IE in Ghana.

 Mr Bright Appiah, the Executive Chairperson of Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition, said there was the need to make deliberate attempts to train more sign language interpreters, and further strengthen the capacity of citizens with the full knowledge and understanding of the policy.

 He said the Coalition would also continue to strengthen its collaboration with the various institutions that dealt with such public policies, and how to assist children to be part of the whole process, and expected the government to remain committed to the full implementation of the IE across the country.

  Prof. Samuel Hayford, the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Education, Winniba, (UEW) however expressed great worry about the currently low level of public knowledge of the IE Policy and its Implementation Plan, even among Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and called for deliberate efforts by the MOE to empower people in the grassroots.

 He said the UEW has developed a new curriculum to promote a universal design for learner education, enhanced teaching environment and ensure well informed instructors for effective IE, so that by the time students completed their training they would have had full knowledge of how to provide comprehensive services to all who needed education.

 He also reiterated the need for serious attitudinal change and the need to treat PWDs with respect, love, compassion and dignity, saying they had the right to be treated as such and given the opportunity to play active roles in society.