The leadership of Parliament has voiced concerns over the budgetary allocation to special needs schools in the 2024 budget and urged the Ministry of Finance to revisit its decision.
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed disbelief over the paltry allocation of less than 1 million Ghana Cedis for inclusive and special education.
He said, “I don’t want to believe that this is a typo error. Redirecting at least GH¢20 million from non-formal education can greatly benefit special schools across the country.”
His call for reconsideration was based on the observation that the ministry allocated a substantial amount of GH¢100 million to non-formal education, a sector he believes can withstand a reallocation without compromising its effectiveness.
He stressed the need to prioritize special education, stating, “We need to spend more on special schools, not on non-formal education. We need to ensure that special education institutions are adequately supported.”
Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson first raised the concern during the debate on the budget estimates of the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, December 19. The Ministry has been allocated GH¢29.5 billion for the 2024 fiscal year.
He expressed disappointment with the allocation of just GH¢673,429 for special education.
He stated, “It’s quite serious as a country that we are allocating less than 1 million Ghana Cedis for inclusive and special education. We should be interested in this as much as we allocate substantial funds to other areas of education.”
The leaders emphasized the importance of addressing the needs of special education, considering the unique challenges faced by individuals in these institutions.
The Minority leader lamented that the allocation to inclusive and special education is only to pay wages and salaries without provisions for goods and services.
This oversight, he said, needs urgent attention.
The leaders urged the Ministry of Finance to ensure that special education, with its diverse needs, receives the financial support it requires.
The plea was not just for the benefit of special schools but for all special education programs nationwide.
The House subsequently approved the GH¢29.5 billion estimates for the Education Ministry.