The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has handed over the first of several thousand smart tablets procured for Senior High School students at the Opoku Ware School in Kumasi.
He has also commissioned the first Smart School Block and witnessed the first lessons in the classrooms.
The handover of the tablets and the commissioning are in fulfillment of a pledge by Government to, among others, provide an ICT-driven environment for teaching and learning for the next generation of Ghanaians by providing each student with an educational tablet.
Speaking at the brief but colourful event on Wednesday, 12th June, 2024 Dr Bawumia disclosed that the tablets are pre-loaded with textbooks, sample exam questions and other necessary aids for teaching and learning.
Highlighting the fundamentally revolutionary nature of the decision to invest so heavily in the provision of such educational infrastructure, Dr Bawumia emphasized the long term vision that underpinned the ongoing overhaul of Ghana’s education.
“Over the past seven years, we have been working to create the necessary, conducive environment to prepare our children to partake fully in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by investing in technology-based and -driven teaching and learning, with training and incentives for teachers, and infrastructure and equipment for students.
“No country in Africa, and very few in the world, certainly not the US and Estonia, which is said to be the most digitalized country in the world, has taken the decision to supply complete educational material on tablets to their students. No country in Africa has done this, and Ghana has once again set the pace for the continent,” he stated.
“We are making this heavy investment now, with returns down the years, but we know it will be worth every cedi invested,” he predicted.
The Headmaster of Opoku Ware Senior High School, Rev Father Stephen Owusu Sekyere, expressed delight at the successful start of the programme, noting that the world was continually undergoing changes and it is important to prepare the next generation adequately.
“I am delighted that we have overcome all the challenges and the programme has taken off. I am even more delighted that it is taking off in my school, and it is the Vice President, who has championed this programme, who is here today to personally hand over these tablets,” Rev Fr Sekyere, who is also national President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), stated.
Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, reaffirmed Government’s commitment to providing modern, quality education to Ghana’s children.