"The denial of education to physically challenged children is against their human rights, and this should never be overlooked," - Mrs. Hannah Adutwumwaa Owusu

"The denial of education to physically challenged children is against their human rights, and this should never be overlooked," - Mrs. Hannah Adutwumwaa Owusu

The Programs Officer at the Ghana Education Service (GES) Headquarters, Mrs. Hannah Adutwumwaa Owusu has stated  "The universal primary education would be unattainable without the inclusion of children with disabilities.

She was speaking to Bibianinews.com at Bibiani during a stakeholders' engagement on the Right Age Enrollment Campaign, an initiative by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) to ensure that children enroll in school at the right age of four, as mandated by the Education Act, Act 778, passed in 2008.

The campaign aims to address challenges faced by children and parents in different districts, especially in remote areas where education is often neglected or undervalued.

The campaign has shown success in increasing right-age enrollment, improving community attitudes towards education, and promoting inclusive education. The GES plans to continue the campaign to achieve universal right-age enrollment in Ghana.

Mrs. Owusu said that children with disabilities who were fortunate enough to receive education often faced inferior treatment, had lower expectations of themselves compared to their able-bodied counterparts, and were denied the necessary support to participate equally.

She stressed that some parents therefore preferred to keep their disabled children at home instead of sending them to school, which could help unearth their talents. She added that some parents also feared that disclosing a disabled child would stigmatize their families and affect the marriage prospects of siblings, while others considered investing in a disabled child to be unworthwhile.

Source:Bibianinews.com