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20.09.2012 Education

400 SHSs Benefit From Internet Coonectivity

20.09.2012 LISTEN
By Daily Graphic

Four hundred selected Senior High Schools (SHS) throughout the country, have benefited from free internet connectivity.

The project dubbed ‘’SHS Internet Access Project’’ is intended to provide internet access to all SHS with the view to supporting teaching and learning achievements, education and management objectives and contributing towards a wider community and national development.

It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ghana Education Service (GES) with sponsorship from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in alliance with Vodafone Ghana and Global E-School and Communities Initiative (GESCI).

Under the project, GESCI and Vodafone would ensure that SHS are connected and that teachers are informed on how to incorporate ICT into their lesson plans to improve student learning outcomes.

At the launch of the Project in Accra Wednesday, Education Minister, Mr Lee Ocran observed that through ICT, students would be provided with hand-on learning activities and technical skills that would contribute to improving their performance.

The use of ICT, the minister explained, would also diversify teaching methods, increase educational resources and improve communication skills.

“We as a government in ensuring a vigorous regimen for our children, can only show our commitment by providing funds to achieve maximum impact of our policies and programmes,’’ he said.

Mr Ocran, therefore, urged the GES, being the implementer of national pre-tertiary policies, to ensure appropriate organizational structure which would make for the effective integration of ICT in SHS in the country.

He also tasked GES to quickly provide the appropriate guidelines on the use of the internet in SHS and augment the existing ICT infrastructure in the various schools.

Mr Ocran told the students: “It is refreshing that this project has come at an opportune time, because you have reported to school for a new academic year and you are being given the access to the internet, This is to enable you gain more knowledge by accessing subject teaching and websites which would also improve your scores in your various subjects’’.

He, however, urged the teachers to monitor the activities of the students by engaging students in interactive learning programmes on the Internet, especially in the critical subjects such as Mathematics, Science and English.

In her welcome address, the Director General of GES, Ms Benedicta Naana Biney underscored the need for government to build infrastructure throughout various SHS in the country to complement the teaching and learning of the ICT.

She was hopeful that with the availability of internet in SHS, the gap between theory and practical would be bridged.

Ms Biney, however, advised students not to indulge in internet fraud and other activities which had the tendency to destroy their future.

On his part, Ms Perez Marisol said the alliance with MOE, GES, Vodafone and GESCI was part of a larger USAID effort of the Data Management and Communication Strengthening Activity, which was supporting Ghana’s education sector to harness new technologies, including the internet.

‘’Under this programme, the ICT for Education Global Development Alliance, USAID will provide for installation and necessary internet connectivity, upgrades to 400 SHS throughout the country.

Through the GES, capacity workshops would also be provided for the sustainability of these efforts,’’ she said.

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