Bawumia gives date to launch one tertiary student, 1 laptop policy

Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says if elected president in the upcoming 2024 general election, he will launch one student, one laptop policy for students in public tertiary institutions in the next academic year.

Mahamudu said if elected by the electorates, one of the key areas he will be looking at is Ghana’s education system and that he will roll out a “1 student, 1 laptop” policy to meet the educational needs of students in the country.

“Following the Senior High School, we will also implement a 1 student, 1 laptop policy for tertiary students through the provision of 0 interest loan with a 70% discount on the cost of a laptop payable over 4 years for tertiary students who need laptops,” the Vice-President said.

The initiative aims to bolster Senior High School education by providing teaching and learning management systems, digital learning content, and electronic devices to all SHS and TVET schools nationwide.

The project aligns with the Ministry of Education’s digitalization agenda for pre-tertiary education. It supports the government’s goal of leveraging technological advancements to prepare Ghanaian students for the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The Ghana Smart School’s Project (GSSP) is in fulfillment of the Education for Sustainable Development Agenda which is considered a key driver for rapid socio-economic transformation.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disclosed that plans were underway to distribute Smart Tablets to 1.3 million Senior High School (SHS) students nationwide.

“To distribute 1.3 million educational tablets to students in SHSs. That is one student, and one tablet under the Ghana Smart Schools Project. The tablets are fitted with digital content to aid research, teaching, and learning.

“At the tertiary level, Ghana is pleased to provide at a discounted price tablets and laptops to students and lecturers to facilitate academic [activities]… The government continues to seek innovative ways to do STEM and the FSHS policy.

“The next phase of Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy enhancement will be propelled by digitalisation. This will allow a seamless online and offline teaching and learning experience,” His Excellency told stakeholders at the launch.