Persons living with disabilities (PWDs) must be supported to pursue higher education devoid of financial or institutional barriers, the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, has said.
Speaking at the launch of the Bii-Kunuto Education Fund at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra, he said the government’s policy was firmly anchored in the principle that disability should not limit academic potential or national contribution.
He was speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to traditional leaders, education stakeholders, parents and students.
Disability not barrier
“Disability must never become a barrier to academic aspiration or national contribution,” Dr Apaak stated, stressing that inclusive education remained central to Ghana’s development agenda.
According to him, the government’s commitment to Free Tertiary Education for Persons Living with Disabilities reflected a broader effort to protect vulnerable groups within the education system.
He explained that education financing must be structured to lift constraints rather than reinforce inequality.
“Education is the bridge between poverty and productivity, between exclusion and participation, and between inherited circumstance and earned opportunity,” he said.
Dr Apaak noted that support for students with disabilities complemented other major interventions aimed at widening access and improving equity.
Interventions
He referenced the No Fee Stress Policy, under which the government absorbed first-year academic facility user fees for students admitted into public tertiary institutions.
“This intervention relieves parents and guardians of immediate financial pressure and ensures that admission letters translate into actual enrolment,” he added.
He also highlighted reforms in scholarship administration, describing the passage of the Scholarship Authority Bill as a move away from discretion and unequal access.
“Government has replaced fragmentation with coordination, discretion with equity, and privilege with fairness,” he said, noting that scholarships must reach those who genuinely needed them.
The deputy minister further pointed to improvements in the Free SHS programme, including its extension to selected private schools in underserved areas as evidence of the government’s inclusive approach.
“This integrated system ensures equity, choice and inclusion, while safeguarding standards and sustainability,” he stated.
Touching on the Bii-Kunuto Education Fund, Dr Apaak said private initiatives played a critical role in strengthening access for students facing financial hardship.
“The strongest nations are built when public commitment is reinforced by private conscience,” he said, and urged beneficiaries, particularly PWDs, to view educational support as a responsibility to excel and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Source:
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