Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that President John Dramani Mahama is fully committed to making education in all special schools across the country free. The Minister made this known during an engagement with Heads of Special Schools and Integrated Senior High Schools held in Accra.
Hon. Iddrisu explained that the meeting was a crucial step toward gathering the necessary data, cost analysis, and expert insights required to finalize a Cabinet Memo for President Mahama. The memo, he said, will guide a major policy decision on the future of special needs education in Ghana.
According to him, President Mahama intends to introduce a new, predictable, and sustainable funding model that guarantees consistent support for learners with special needs—moving away from the long-standing grant-dependent system that often leaves schools financially strained.
The Minister noted that President Mahama’s vision includes a revised GETFund structure that will dedicate funding to three key priorities:
Free secondary education,
Free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, and
Free education for all learners with special needs, subject to final Cabinet and parliamentary approval.
He estimated that special schools may require GH¢65 million to GH¢100 million annually to operate effectively under the new system. Feeding grants, he added, are also expected to be increased to improve student welfare.
Hon. Iddrisu highlighted the need for comprehensive input from school heads on infrastructure gaps, assistive devices, teacher development, accessibility standards, and welfare support. These details, he emphasized, will strengthen the justification for President Mahama’s final decision.
The engagement brought together officials from the Special Education Division and heads of both special and integrated schools, marking a significant step toward the anticipated reforms in Ghana’s special needs education sector.
