Bawumia launches 'One Teacher One Laptop'; charges MoE, GES to take full advantage

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has launched the 'One Teacher, One Laptop' policy in Accra.

The initiative is a response to the demand of teachers for laptops to enhance their work in the midst of covid.

Every teacher from Kindergarten to Senior High School in public schools is entitled to a laptop under the initiative.

The arrangement is that government will absorb 70 percent of the cost whiles the teachers pay the remaining 30 percent.

Launching the policy at the St. Mary Girls Senior High School in Accra, the Vice President noted that the importance of ICT in this era cannot be overemphasized hence the need for the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to take full advantage of the opportunities offered under the initiative.

“All the relevant and common educational resource materials should be uploaded into the system, including recorded lessons, revision materials and Chief examiners reports for easy access.

“There is also a package known as Educat where you have a store of ebooks and other learning materials which can be easily accessed on the laptop,” he said.

Dr. Bawumia said it was his expectation that the laptop would benefit the teachers but more importantly the students who ultimately are at the center of the educational ecosystem.

“I expect dividends such as improved research for teachers, enhanced lesson plans, better analysis of students performance and new opportunities for boosted digital skills,” he noted.

Government’s vision he said, is to mine the full value from the initiative and its associated benefits leveraging on them for national development.

“I count on the National Inspectorate Board to assist with inspecting outcomes following this huge investment by government,” he said.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum was grateful to the Vice President for availing himself to launch the policy.

He noted that the policy is a step to enhance the teaching profession of the 21st century teacher in the country.

“Teachers are going to get the opportunity to begin to practice what we have been preaching about for a long time. A teacher who is equipped with the requisite ICT tools to embark on teaching duties in the 21st Century,” the Education Minister stressed.

The Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES) Prof Kwasi Opoku Amankwah expressed gratitude to GetFund for funding the initiative and assured public school teachers of fair share of the laptops.