Mr Alex Amankwah in charge of Specific Learning Disorders at the Ghana Education Service has revealed that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) accepts oral responses from students unable to write due to disability.

He said provisions have been made to accommodate students with special educational needs in examinations to enable them to compete with their counterparts without disabilities.

Mr Amankwah made this known at a Technical Committee Meeting to review Ghana’s Disability Law held in Accra.

The Technical Committee set up by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is tasked to review the Persons with Disability Act and prepare an accompanying Legislative Instrument for submission to parliament.

Mr Amankwah explained that for students who could not write due to disability are given an alternative to record their responses or answers on audio, which is later transcribed for the examiner.

He said for students with special educational needs to benefit from this, they must go through assessment at the Ghana Education Service assessment Centres.

“A report from the Assessment Centre is sent to the school, which is further sent to the Municipal, Regional and National offices of the Ghana Education service to be sent to WAEC,”

“WAEC is able to adequately prepare for the students during the examination. Special concessions are made where necessary to give the students ample time among other things,” Mr Amankwah added.

He said the GES Special Education Division also has concessions to place students with special educational needs in schools appropriate for them to ensure a smooth furthering of their education.

The Technical Committee reviewing the disability law also discussed proper certification for students who attend special needs schools and sometimes do not get any certificate for their effort for being in school.

Ms Esther Akua Gyamfi, Executive Secretary at the National Council on Persons with Disability, said there should be a system in place to recognize the efforts of children with special educational needs who go to school for a number of years and sometimes pass out without a certificate because of their disabilities.

“Many regular schools refuse to register children with disabilities for the West African Examination Council,” so the children stay in school for a number of years without any recognition for their efforts of being in school.

She said putting in place a system of certification for children with disabilities or special educational needs would further enhance the community development and involvement for persons with disabilities.