On-going learning about inclusive education in Ghana: Considering the perspectives of government officials, teachers, and parents

Today we completed a full day of focus groups with three different groups of educational stakeholders in Tamale, a city in northern Ghana:

1. Officials from Ghana Education Service (similar to Ontario's Ministry of Education).
2. Teachers and parents.
3. Other stakeholders (e.g., private schools, NGOs)

We were particularly interested in hearing about three aspects of inclusive education:

1. What does inclusive education mean to you?
2. What policies guide your work in inclusive education?
3. What experiences have you had in supporting students with special education needs and disabilities?

About 30 people participated in the focus groups. It was fascinating to listen to the insights and perspectives of the participants. Here are my "top 10" key lessons I learned:

1. There seems to be a greater willingness to work with students with "mild" disabilities in the regular classroom. Students with more challenging disabilities were generally seen as needing the supports available in specialized, segregated schools.
2. Many teachers had not heard of, never mind seen, the 2015 Ministry of Education policy document that is supposed to guide inclusive education in Ghana. There seems to be a large gap between policy and practice.
3. Participants identified that one of the most significant challenges to inclusion is the pervasiveness of stigma associated with disability in Ghana.
4. Resources are scarce and most schools do not have access to specialized support (e.g., special education resource teachers).
5. Classes are large so it is difficult for teachers to focus on more significant individual student needs because of the breadth of needs in their classrooms.
6. Training of teachers on inclusive education is sporadic and without monitoring/accountability structures to ensure that students with disabilities are included. Teachers would like more professional learning opportunities and on-going support.
7. There is a recognition of a wide variety of needs. Specific disabilities that were discussed included physical disabilities, autism, mental disabilities, learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia), and intellectual disabilities.
   
8. There is a lack of assessment/diagnostic resources aside from referring children and their families to hospitals or medical practitioners. The Swiss Red Cross has played a significant role in supporting interventions such as hearing assessments.
9. Parents of children with disabilities expressed appreciation for caring teachers but also commented that there was a significant lack of resources to support their children in community schools.
10. Participants were appreciative that this is the beginning of a three year study that includes developing training resources. Participants were looking for on-going engagement and not singular training events. 

There is much to learn about inclusive education in Ghana but the reciprocity in the learning journey today is a strong indicator that the future of our partnership development work in Ghana is healthy!