Facilitating Inclusive Education in Ghana Through Art Education

Abstract

The focus on the education of persons with special educational needs all over the world is shifting from special and segregated education to an inclusive education. This is to ensure equal access to education for all children. However, the goal of providing quality inclusive education in Ghana would remain elusive so long as the concept of inclusion is not linked to broader dimensions on curricular modifications and pedagogy for effective participation of all children in the learning experiences provided in the classrooms. The aim of this study is to facilitate inclusion through art education. This exploratory research utilised a semi-structured interview, extensive classroom observation, documentary review, and practical activities to gather data. The population for the study included head teachers, teachers and pupils in four schools which were targeted to have embarked on inclusive education in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana by the Special Education Division (SpED) of the Ministry of Education in 2003. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting the 24 subjects for the study. The study revealed that Art could be used as catalyse in the implementation of Inclusive Education (IE) and also young people without disabilities became advocates of the rights of persons with disabilities for inclusive settings. It is recommended that teachers of art would benefit from in-service training that specifically addresses art education for students with special needs in inclusive settings.

Keywords: art education, arts, inclusive education, special education