Schools urged not to discriminate against PWDs

Ms Bedwei addressing the participants

A physically challenged Software Engineer, Ms. Farida Nana Bedwei has urged School authorities not to discriminate against persons with disabilities when admitting pupils to their schools.

That, she explained, was the only way to tap the hidden talents in such children when given the opportunity.

Ms Bedwei was speaking at the closing of this year’s Glob­al Super Teachers Conference held in Accra on Saturday.

The week-long event organised by Africa Education Gateway which started on Sat­urday, November 4 was on the theme: “Equity: Inequality in Education anywhere in Africa is a threat to the Socio-Eco­nomic Security of African countries.”

The conference is a teacher and school leadership empowerment and profession­al development programme that sought to imbibe mod­ern methods of teaching and learning in the participants.

Ms Bedwei stated that her constant plea to school au­thorities and the powers that be seemed to have become a bother, stressing that “I will not stop talking about it.”

She said she got to her current position through the help of teachers, parents, classmates and the food vendors in a public school who devoted their time to make life comfortable for her, hence the clarion call for school authorities to create that enabling environment for others who find themselves in her position.

She called for change in societal attitude towards per­sons with disabilities in order to assist them become inde­pendent and contribute their quota to nation building.

Dr Aisha Asi Akrofi, the chairperson of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, (GNAPS), Greater Accra said education was not merely a profession but a pro­found calling that shapes lives for the future.

She urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to inspire, learn and share their passion so that collectively they can make a difference in the world.

 By Lawrence Vomafa-Akpalu