Include physically challenged in development programmes

Hohoe, Aug 5, GNA- Mr John Peter Amewu, Hohoe District Chief Executive (DCE) on Wednesday said the quest for a middle-income earning status by government, could be elusive if the contribution of the physically challenged and the mentally retarded were left out in the development paradigm.

He said government realizes the capabilities of these marginalized groups has made efforts at a sustained development agenda as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and other Conventions. Mr Amewu said this at a durbar to climax the celebrations of 50 Years of Deaf Education in Ghana at the Volta School for the Deaf (VoltaDeaf) and Mentally Handicapped at Hohoe.

Speaking on the topic "50 Years of Deaf Education in Ghana: Achievements, Challenges and Way forward", Mr Amewu said government's agenda for accelerated growth, which is centered on Education was all-encompassing irrespective of stature or disability.

He said the new Educational reforms has been overhauled and enriched to prepare beneficiaries adequately which would lead to a middle-income country by 2015, lays emphasis on business, technical, vocational, agriculture and Information Communication Technology (ICT). The DCE said interventions like the upgrading of a senior secondary school in each district, the School Feeding Programme, Distant Learning Education and the Capitation grant were designed to prepare the mindset of the youth to appreciate the essence of education and accelerated growth.

Mr Amewu urged parents to complement government's efforts by investing in the education of their children including the disadvantaged ones, whose capacities and contributions could be the same as the able ones.

Mrs Juliet Beauty Kumah, Hohoe District Director of Education called for an interplay between government and non-governmental organizations towards harnessing the human resource base of the "special people" for nation building.

She commended the teachers for their tolerance and the invaluable humanitarian services they are providing for the unfortunate pupils and students, and urged parents to enrol such children in special Schools instead of locking them up in isolated rooms.

Togbega Gabusu, Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area expressed his indignation against the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for setting a common examination that is sat within the same time frame with same aggregates to be considered for further academic progression for the able and the physically and mentally disadvantaged students. He therefore called for a special dispensation towards their examination schedule describing it as "stoutly reckless and anti-developmental".

Togbega consequently called on Ghanaians to denounce all socio-cultural practices, which stigmatises or are inimical to the total development of the underprivileged in the society. Mr Cudjoe D. Dzotepeh, Headmaster of the School said VoltaDeaf now has a population of 230 students with 26 graduate teachers and 39 auxiliary staff.

He said the school was started with 15 students, two teachers and 12 non-teachers 1971.

He commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) for making funds available for the building of a dining hall/kitchen complex and the rehabilitation work on the five-unit classroom block as well as the abandoned student dormitory and appealed to NGOs to assist with more School infrastructure.

Mr Dzotepeh applauded the efforts of the German Development Service (GTZ), Catholic Relief Services, World Vision International (WVI), Hohoe District Assembly and the Gbi Traditional authorities for their enormous assistance.

He appealed for funds towards the procurement of materials like wood, yarn and dyes for the vocational department to adequately prepare students for the NVTI exams.

Mr Albert Agra, a retired Educationist who presided urged pregnant women to avoid injuring their unborn babies and take medical advices seriously. Patrons who were invited to participate in the celebration were held spellbound by the systemic dancing and drumming of the School's cultural troupe including an exhibition of textiles and artefacts being churned out by the inmates. 5 Aug 07