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Involve blind teachers in
educational reforms
Kumasi, Sept. 11,
Ghanadot/GNA - Mr James Owusu Takyi, Ashanti Regional
President of the Ghana Blind Teachers Association (BTA) has
called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to include the
group in the educational reforms, especially the Information
Communication Technology (ICT) Training.
He stressed that, even though ICT training is compulsory
under the new system, the blind teacher has not been offered
the opportunity to acquire or upgrade his or her self in
computer studies, just like in almost all the reforms.
Mr Takyi was addressing the regional branch of the
Association at the first Annual Conference in Kumasi on
Thursday.
“Any educational reform, which does not reform the teacher
and give him the needed skills would not be far reaching
enough”, he re-iterated.
The President said “In the quest for the efficient discharge
of the blind teacher’s obligations to Ghanaian children, he
or she should know the difference between the mouse as an
animal and that of the computer.”
In addition, Mr Takyi expressed grave concern about how
their colleague craft instructors were gradually being
relegated in the profession.
He therefore called on the government to revive the various
blind training centres, which are at the verge of collapsing
to enable them to get trained just like any other teacher.
Mr Anthony Agyemang Berko, General Secretary of BTA
congratulated the Ashanti Regional Branch for sustaining the
group and urged the blind young teachers and graduate
teachers to join the group to motivate others.
The General Secretary, however, called on the public to
disabuse their minds of misconceptions about the physically
challenged and help involve them in national programmes as
is being done in the Western world and called on the media
to help champion their cause.
He appealed to the government to bring blind ICT centres
closer to the visually impaired to enable them to attain
training and increase their marketability on the job market.
The Regional Special Education Co-ordinator, Mr Peter Owusu,
said blind teachers have not been left of the educational
reform since at least it has improved upon their conditions
of services and assured that their other needs would be seen
to.
Mr Oppong Amoah, Deputy Regional Secretary of the Ghana
National Association of Teachers (GNAT), encouraged the
members to join GNAT for their own benefit.
Mr Atakora-Asamoah Yaw Poku, National Vice President of the
physically challenged and Chairman for the function in an
appeal, called on the government to ensure the disability
act was implemented.
GNA
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