RLG Distributes 3,000 Laptops To Students In Region

From Ernest Best Anane
 
About 3,000 people, including students of senior high schools, training colleges, and polytechnic and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in the Ashanti Region have received 'Better Ghana' laptops.

The laptops were distributed free of charge by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, under the Better Ghana Agenda Laptop project, which aims at promoting research and innovation through ICT.

Under the project, individuals apply to the ministry, while institutions are assigned the laptops after needs assessment.

The Minister for Science and Technology, Ms. Sherry Ayittey, who presented the items, said the government was determined to position students, educational and research institutions to partake in the transformation agenda.

She cautioned against the misuse of the laptops, and that they should be used for the purpose they were being provided for.

She said the government wanted to improve the skills of the students, who are the future leaders of our nation, as the teachers give only 30%, while the students themselves have to make their own research.

The Minister said the laptops was another way of the government to engineer and control the local content of the developmental agenda, hence the provision to help transform the economy and industries from a low income to high income level, which she said, cannot be achieved without the partnership of the future leaders of today.

Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, commended the government for including all the schools, saying that it would help the beneficiary students in their research programmes, and go a long way to enhance their academic performance.

He said the laptops would be presented to all the regions as part of the Better Ghana Agenda, which was particular about quality education, as the government was determined to improve the education system through the expansion of infrastructural facilities, and appropriate innovation schemes for teachers to ensure accelerated education in the country.

Some of the beneficiary students commended the government for the laudable idea, which they said, should be continued by successive governments.

Similar distributions of laptops have taken place in the Northern, Upper East, Western, Central and Volta regions.