Knowledge and contributions of community opinion leaders towards the implementation of inclusive education policy in Ga west municipality of Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore community leaders‟ knowledge and contributions towards the implementation of inclusive education (IE) policy in the Ga West Municipality of Ghana. This qualitative study was designed as a case study. Data were collected from 25 participants, purposively sampled from a population of 66 community opinion leaders, who responded to a set of semi-structured interview questions. The study found the following: (i) that community opinion leaders had fair knowledge about the IE policy and valued the philosophy of its implementation, and that (ii) collaboration with key stakeholders contributed to the successful implementation of the IE policy in the Ga West Municipal, (iii) awareness creation about the rights of children with disabilities and provision of resources contribute towards the implementation of IE in the municipality. To improve the knowledge of community opinion leaders about IE policy, sensitization workshops and seminars emerged as one of the strategies to enhance the implementation of the IE policy. It was concluded that the full implementation of the IE policy would combat discrimination, create welcoming communities and build inclusive societies. Therefore, it was recommended that advocates of IE should increase community knowledge about the practicality and benefits of the IE policy and should always involve community opinion leaders since they have a major role to play in the full implementation of IE in their community.