Minority criticises gov’t effort to supply 1.3m SHS students tablets

The Minority caucus in Parliament has undermined the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government effort to provide student mate 1 tablet to more than 1 million prospective students in various government second-cycle schools in the country.

In a statement shared with Thisterm.com, the lawmakers from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said that despite the launch of the Ghana Smart Schools Project, the one-student, one tablet promise is to deceive Ghanaians.

“It is important to state, that the NDC is not against the provision of tablets to students to enhance their learning experience. In the NDC’s 2020 Peoples’ manifesto, on page 70, under ‘7.2: Providing Globally Competitive And Quality Education,’ it is stated in 7.2.3(k) that the NDC will; “Provide students and teachers with free tablets loaded with relevant content to facilitate teaching and learning

The failed Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led NPP in its 2020 manifesto on page 57, under Education (promise123): Improve ICT facilities and curriculum on ICT, notes that Curriculum approved and rolled out, stating further that discussions are ongoing for distribution of tablets to JHS and SHS students,” the opposition NDC party statement stated.

Acknowledging that NDC is not opposed to providing tablets to students for educational purposes, they referenced their manifesto commitment to provide free tablets loaded with relevant content to facilitate teaching and learning.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum says first batch distribution of the government procured student mate 1 tablets to pubic Senior High School students in the country will commence early April this year.

In an interview with JoyNews on JoyNews’ Newsfile monitored by Thisterm.com, he said the first phase of distribution of the students mate 1 tablets will see about 450,000 electronic devices distributed to Senior High School students.

The distribution of tablets, the Education Minister indicated has been categorized into three phases, with 450,000 to be distributed in 32 second cycle schools (SHS) to ensure the effective distribution of a total of 1.3 million tablets.

“The 450,000 is a little less than 30 %, the deployment is such that it is in three phases. The first phase which is hitting the regions and schools in the next coming week, is going to 32 schools in the 16 regions,” Adutwum told JoyNews.

Asked how much each tablet costs, he said the unit price for each tablet is $250 adding that ICT Coordinators in the schools have offered training to teachers and will continue to train the schools receiving the tablets on their effective usage.