The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced that the government will provide all senior high schools (SHSs) with laptop computers installed with educational content for use in class by the end of 2023.
He stated that the project would save the nation the huge amount of money that was spent on producing textbooks, and he added that it would also guide students who benefited from it into the new world of data, modern technology, and innovations.
Dr. Bawumia was giving a speech at the 60th anniversary celebration of the E.P. SHS, Hohoe (HEPSS), which took place last Saturday in the Volta Region.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the government plans to provide all senior high schools (SHSs) with laptop computers that already have textbooks pre-installed in them for the upcoming school year.
He stated that the project would save the country the enormous amount of money that was spent on producing textbooks, and he added that it would also lead the students who would benefit from it into the new world of data, contemporary systems, and innovations.
The Vice President praised the school for maintaining strong academic standards and an excellent level of discipline over the course of several decades, stating that HEPSS was one of the top second-cycle schools in the country.
He also paid glowing homage to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ghana (EPCG) for its great contribution to education and civilization in the country. One example of this is the founding of HEPSS, which Dr. Bawumia said has created men and women of substance for the nation in the previous 60 years.
In addition, he praised the cadet corps of the school for the outstanding drills and displays of courage they had carried out, and he promised to personally take care of the cadets’ clothing needs.
However, Angel Carbonu, president of NAGRAT, an organisation representing graduate teachers, is sceptical of the government’s new effort. ICT is the future, according to him, but the government will face obstacles in its implementation. “Looking at recent happenings, I foresee some challenges in the government being able to supply laptops to every student, however, we still have to keep hope alive; we don’t have a choice.”
Regarding the Free SHS policy, Dr. Bawumia stated that since its start, enrollment has grown from 800,000 to 1.4 million, stating that this is a positive indicator of all-inclusive access to education. In addition, the Vice President stated that since the programme’s inception, enrollment has expanded from 800,000 to 1.4 million.
In addition, he mentioned that there was a gender balance inside the system, using the example of HEPSS, “which has 1,491 boys and 1,878 girls.” He did this to illustrate that the ratio of male participants to female participants was equal.
Dr. Bawumia stated that the expansion of educational facilities in secondary schools was a major priority for the government in order to provide more students with access to high-quality educational opportunities.
He encouraged the children to work hard in their studies so that they may have a better future and told them, “If you aim high and put your minds to it, you will achieve your goals.” The Dr. Bawumia made a donation to the institution in the amount of GH$50,000.
