This article examined the implementation of Ghana’s 2015 Inclusive Education Policy in basic schools, focusing on the leadership role of headteachers. Drawing on international frameworks such as Salamanca and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), national policy documents, and empirical literature from Ghana, the paper analyzed key challenges, including limited resources, inadequate teacher preparation, infrastructural barriers, rigid curriculum and assessment systems, and weak stakeholder collaboration, across rural and urban contexts. Using a rights-based and inclusive leadership lens, it argued that headteachers are pivotal in translating policy into practice through vision-setting, culture-building, capacity development, resource mobilization, and community engagement, yet they are faced with significant challenges. The article concluded with practical, context-sensitive strategies for headteachers and implications for leadership training and policy support to advance inclusive, equitable basic education in Ghana.
Cite this paper
Hayford, L. A. F. and Asare, J. (2025). Implementing Ghana’s Inclusive Education Policy in Basic Schools: Leadership Challenges and Practical Strategies for Headteachers. Open Access Library Journal, 12, e14670. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1114670.
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