The issue of where to teach children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities has been a great concern as countries respond to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Salamanca Statement on inclusion of 1994. In this study, the responses of 500 trained and untrained mainstream primary school teachers selected from three of the ten regions of Ghana were analysed to investigate their attitudes to including children with SEN and disabilities in mainstream schools in Ghana. These attitudes were examined alongside teachers' characteristics such as gender, age, length and level of teaching experience, and knowledge of SEN, and also the type, nature and degree of children's SEN. The results showed that teachers in Ghana were positive towards the inclusion of children with SEN and disabilities with a few reservations which are elaborated. On the basis of the findings, conclusions were drawn that the inclusion agenda should be subject to national and local interpretation, aimed at ensuring that policies and regulations on SEN are fashioned to meet local situations and standards.
The study investigated safety-related issues in inclusive schools in Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design using a safety perception questionnaire was adopted for the study. Fourteen inclusive basic schools and 330 teachers were selected using the census technique. The response rate was 80% representing 264 teachers. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, that is, mean, standard deviation and pie-chart diagram. It was revealed that the social relationship among children with special educational needs and disability (SEND), their peers without any disability and teachers was cordial. However, most aspects of the built environment were not accessible to children with SEND. It was also revealed that injuries such as bruises, cuts and abrasions were prevalent among the children. The study recommends that safety issues in inclusive schools should be taken seriously to build the self-esteem of children with SEND.
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