Mr. Juventus Duorinaah, Executive Director of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), has disclosed that 30 to 50 percent of children with hearing impairments are out of school.
He pointed to cultural and societal barriers as major factors, noting that many parents neglect their responsibilities out of fear that their children wonuld not succeed in the future.
“Sometimes, parents have deaf children, and they ask themselves, what life would this child have,” he said during the National Seminar on the Role of Stakeholders in Achieving the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)-Compliant Inclusive Education for Deaf Learners in Ghana.
“Some of the community schools still do not want to accept deaf children because they feel that because of their disability, they will not be able to benefit from their teachings and learning, “he added.
The seminar was on the theme: “The Role of Stakeholders in Achieving CRPD-Compliant Inclusive Education for Deaf Learners in Ghana.”
Mr. Duorinaah said that GNAD was working with various stakeholders to improve educational access for children with hearing impairments and to ensure that Schools for the Deaf produce qualified teachers.
He noted that there are currently 17 special schools nationwide, 14 of which are public and require significant support.
Mr. Duorinaah said that the association is working to raise awareness and change social attitudes toward deafness.
He urged the government to invest in inclusive education resources and called on stakeholders, training colleges, and universities to work collaboratively incorporate sign language into their curriculum.
In a speech delivered on his behalf, Dr. Eric Nkansah, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, highlighted the Ministry of Education’s commitment to fostering inclusive education.
He emphasized that over the years, various laws, acts, and policies had been enacted to ensure that education was accessible to everyone.
Dr. Nkansah noted that one of the key policies was the Inclusive Education (IE) Policy, which aims to ensure education was accessible to all children, particularly those with special educational needs.
The policy was formulated in 2015 and launched in 2016 to foster an environment where every child is valued, respected, and afforded equal learning opportunities.
The policy builds on Ghana’s 1992 constitutional commitment to Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education, aligning with international conventions and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Its aim is to foster an inclusive educational environment that ensures all children have access to quality education, regardless of their background.
Dr. Nkansah highlighted key findings from the 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census, which revealed that around 1.8 per cent of the population aged five and up had varied degrees of functional challenges.
He indicated that one in five children between the ages of two and 17 faced such issues.
Furthermore, only about 1.6 per cent of Ghana’s children with disabilities attend schools from kindergarten to senior high school.
“In view of this, the IE Policy is highly needed since it makes it necessary for everyone regardless of your circumstance or situation, be it physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or socio-economic challenges to have access to quality equitable education,” he said.
Dr. Nkansah stated that after seven years of implementation, the Policy had been revised and the final draft is now pending Cabinet approval.
He explained that the revision was prompted by changes at both the national and international levels, especially the global adoption of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the development of the National Education Strategic Plan 2018-2030, which aligns with the timeline for the SDGs.
Dr. Nkansah emphasised the significance of the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049), and the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which led to the establishment of new agencies under the Ministry of Education.
He said those agencies are intended to collaborate effectively to ensure their defined roles and responsibilities align with the objectives of the Inclusive Education Policy.
Dr. Nkansah said that the new Inclusive Education Policy will be in effect for six years, with a review in 2030.
The timeline is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan for 2018-2030.
Madam Joyce Larnyoh, Country Director of the International Child Development Programme, said civil society groups would keep pushing for the inclusion of sign language interpreters and accessible educational resources.
She emphasized the need of communication support, such as video interpreting, to help teachers learn sign language to improve their teaching methods.
Madam Larnyoh also advocated for entrepreneurial support for students with hearing impairments, such as training and skill development, so that they can achieve financial independence after they complete their education.
GNA