The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced plans for a sweeping overhaul of funding for special needs education in Ghana, assuring stronger financial support and improved learning conditions for children with disabilities.
Addressing heads of special needs and integrated schools, Mr. Iddrisu highlighted the urgent need for a more structured and dependable funding system tailored to the unique requirements of learners with disabilities.
“We are preparing a Cabinet Memo for the attention of the President and my colleagues in Cabinet to take a major decision on the future of special needs education in Ghana,” he stated.
The Minister disclosed that government is considering an annual allocation of between GHS 65 million and GHS 100 million to support special needs learners, with resources expected to come from the GETFUND.
As part of planned reforms, he said the Ministry is exploring the possibility of doubling the current unfunded grant from GHS 8 to GHS 15 per student per day, noting the increasing costs associated with supporting learners with disabilities.
Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that all learners with special needs fully benefit from the free education policy, emphasising the need for investment in infrastructure upgrades, enhanced school accessibility, and the provision of modern assistive devices.
He also revealed that the GETFUND will extend free tertiary education to all persons with disabilities, significantly widening access to education from basic to tertiary level.
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