The Conference of Heads of Special Schools (COHESS) has appealed to the government to invest more in special schools as part of its support to the country’s inclusive education policy.
It said, although the country had made progress in embracing inclusive education, special schools remained essential for providing specialised care, intervention, and skills development for learners with special needs.
The appeal was made at the 42nd Annual Workshop of COHESS, held at the GNAT Hall in Accra yesterday, on the theme: “Inclusive education in Ghana: the role of special schools.”
Worrying gaps
A former Dean of the Faculty of Education Studies at the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Samuel Kwaku Hayford, outlined worrying gaps in the country’s special education landscape, revealing that hundreds of children with various forms of disability remained out of school due to the lack of infrastructure and support services.
Prof. Hayford said there were more than 17,000 children with severe communication impairments, and over 28,000 children with intellectual disabilities were currently not in school.
He added that five regions – North East, Bono East, Western North, Savannah and Oti- did not have any special education facilities.
Access
Prof. Hayford said the country’s education system, which promises equitable access, must be restructured to deliver quality education to all, including those with severe disabilities.
He also called on the government to transform special schools into assessment and resource centres to support the mainstream system.
Prof. Hayford said that the revised Inclusive Education Policy, currently awaiting Cabinet approval, mandated the rebranding of special schools as hubs of diagnosis, placement, and professional development for teachers across the country, hence should be approved.
Challenges
The President of COHESS, Roseline Frimpomaa Agyepong, called on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take urgent steps to address key challenges facing special schools.
She said that although special schools had chalked up many successes in academics, sports, vocational training, and cultural events, they continued to be faced with inadequate resources and delayed government support.
“Our schools are without vehicles, we lack teaching and learning resources, there are no classroom assistants for learners with intellectual disabilities, and we continue to face delayed feeding grants,” the president said.
She also mentioned the non-payment of salaries for newly recruited critical staff since 2024, as well as the lack of health personnel in many of the schools.
Ms Agyepong appealed for motivation for special school staff and a review of the curriculum to align with modern educational standards.
Commitment
The Director of the Special Education Division of GES, Helena Mensah, said the government remained committed to transforming and strengthening special schools to support inclusive education delivery.
She said that “special schools are not being replaced, they are being repositioned” as centres of excellence for assessment, support, and skills development.
“Your role is to increase awareness, reduce stigma in communities, and foster collaboration between special and mainstream schools.
“Inclusion is not an end, it is a journey, and that journey must be intentional,” she added.
