Mr Kwaku Oppong Amponsah adressing the congregation

The Ghana Reads Initia­tive in collaboration with Adwinsa Publica­tions marked this year’s In­ternational Literacy Day with focus on supporting persons with special needs.

The event held at E-Ananse, a library in Accra, brought together teachers, students, writers and other stakehold­ers in education to share ideas to promote literacy and inclusivity within Ghana’s education system.

Speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Mr Wale Okediran said it was important to sup­port children with disabilities to be able to make progress in education.

“Our unwavering com­mitment lies in providing children with disabilities with education and quality life free from discrimination within their communities,” he stated.

He said, it was crucial to provide essential support sys­tems to ensure these children were not intimidated.

The Chief Executive Offi­cer (CEO) of Adwinsa Publi­cations, Mr Kwaku Oppong Amponsah, expressed concern about the unfortunate mal­treatment sometimes endured by children with special needs at the hands of their teach­ers.

Mr Amponsah called for an end to such discrimination, highlighting that those chil­dren constituted an integral part of the educational eco­system.

There was a special presen­tation by Mrs Belinda Bukari, from the Special Education Division, of the Ghana Educa­tion Service (GES), focusing on the identification, referral and appropriate placement of children with special needs within the education set-up.

Mrs Bukari urged teach­ers to avoid discriminatory practices but rather, should actively involve children with special needs in their educa­tional processes.

She urged educators to adopt the ‘ABC’ method; Appearance, Behaviour, Com­plaints as means to identify potential issues and promptly guide students towards the necessary support structures.

She stated that students with special educational needs must not be marginal­ised by educational policies, emphasising the need to formulate inclusive strate­gies within the educational framework.

Mr Kwesi Koomson ex­pressed his appreciation to the Ghana Reads Initiative and Adwinsa Publications for their role in ensuring the pro­gramme’s success.

He said, with the synergy between the two bodies, there was prospect for posi­tive transformation assisting children with special needs in the country.

 By George Obeng Osei