198 students receive laptops under MASTES programme in E/R

By: Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh
A Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Ahmed Mustapha has tasked beneficiaries of the 'Better Ghana laptop computers' to justify the use of the computers upon which they were donated.

He said the teachers and students who are the beneficiaries should put them to use and employ the computers wisely to aid their teaching and learning.

He urged the students not to use the computers to perpetrate internet fraud popularly known as 'Sakawa', saying if they do that they are sinning against themselves, humanity and Mother Ghana.

Dr. Mustapha was speaking during the donation of 198 laptop computers under the Mathematics, Science and Technology Scholarship (MASTES) programme to beneficiary schools and institutions in the Eastern Region.

The donation which forms part of the third phase of the MASTES, aims at producing 9000 laptop computers to schools and institutions across the country to enhance teaching and learning of science and mathematics. Similar donations would be replicated across other regional capitals.

The MASTES was initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) in 2010 and under the programme rlg Communications, an indigenous ICT company was contracted to produce the laptops and distribute it to the beneficiaries.

The Deputy Environment, Science and Technology Minister said the promotion of the study of Science and Mathematics would help propel the development of Ghana to a higher level.

He said it is in this light that the government has decided and recognized the need to support students and institutions in Ghana with the provision of the free laptops.

He said in a Global World, 'the computer has become a tool without it teaching and learning is a big challenge'.

For his part the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister Mr. Okletey Tei Larbi added that any information under the sun can be found on the internet and therefore teachers and students should apply the computers to benefit their lot.

He called on the beneficiaries to set goals and work towards them, saying, if you set bad goals you end up cheating yourselves.

A beneficiary, Gloria Acheampong of the Ghana National College, thanked the government and rlg for the wonderful gesture and said they would also use it wisely for their own good.

Anna Fafa of Aburi Girls added that she is elated to have received one of the rlg laptops, saying it has come at the right time to help in their studies.