Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of Ghana, has disclosed that government will distribute free electronic tablets to all Senior High School students this year
According to him, the tablets to be given to second-cycle school students will be preloaded with all essential textbooks and other learning materials which will enhance learning in the various senior high schools.
The Vice President noted that the ‘game changing’ development is part of the government’s effort towards the digitalization of the education sector in Ghana.
Dr Bawumia made this known when he addressed the opening of the 2023 Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) yesterday at the University of Ghana, Legon.
This year’s event, the 74th, is themed: “Positioning the African market for sustainable economic development through African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”.
“This year, we are on course to provide all Senior High School students in Ghana with tablets which are loaded with textbooks on them for their studies. That’s a very game-changing development. We will have past questions preloaded on these tablets that will be distributed to all and I pray that it does come to pass this year.”
VEEP
Government, in the past announced its partnership with publishers in the country to roll out the initiative. There are also plans to make free internet accessible to Senior High Schools and Tertiary institutions to improve teaching and learning.
Government had disclosed that it has already awarded the contract for the first batch of Wi-Fi installations to begin in some second cycle and tertiary institutions as part of the project.
The One SHS student -One Tablet programme will target only students in public SHSs across the country. The one teacher – onelaptop which is the teachers’ version has been rolled out with laptops being distributed to teachers at the pre-tertiary level.
Vice President Bawumia, who represented President Nana Akufo Addo, commended the University of Ghana for sustaining the New Year School, which he noted, “has always been a source of national discourse and for transforming our nation.”
The New Year School and Conference, which brings together stakeholders from academia, business and political leadership to discuss issues of national significance, has been held annually since the inception of the University of Ghana 75 years ago.
Other Concerns
Dr Bawumia further noted that the theme provides an important barometer for Ghana’s quest to boost economic development through regional trading.
The Vice President expressed concerns over the low level of trade between African countries, adding that Africa must take advantage of the opportunities AfCFTA offers to avert the worrying situation of low intra-Africa trade.
“Madam Chairperson, when you consider the fact that trade between African countries remains low, currently standing at some 16% of our combined GDP, compared to other parts of the world, like the European Union’s 75%, it is obvious that these very low levels of intra-regional trade cannot improve our prospects of bringing prosperity to our peoples.
“A large part of the growth and prosperity that we seek on the continent will come from us, trading more among ourselves.”
VEEP
Dr Bawumia further noted that the coming into force and successful implementation of the AfCFTA ties in perfectly with the vision of moving Ghana to a self-reliant country, “that has freed herself from a mindset of dependence, charity and handouts, and is determined to make intelligent, disciplined use of her considerable resources the basis for her growth and prosperity.”
Dr Bawumia observed that Ghana, like many African countries, is blessed with an abundance of resources, but, has, over the years, not been able to translate this into the much-needed growth and development the country and continent desire, thus leaving the economy in a fragile and unfulfilled state.
To avert this and also to realise the full benefits of AfCFTA, Dr Bawumia called for the transformation of the economic architecture, in order to meet the demands of the emerging global economies post covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.
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