SSS to be equipped with computers

The Ministry of Education is to come out with an Information Technology (IT) policy and charged the Research Unit to develop a curriculum for computer literacy, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education said on Saturday.

He said 110 Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) would be provided with computers as part of the policy to introduce computer literacy. The Minister said the Ministry and that of Communication had designed a programme to provide a number of schools with telecommunication facilities in line with the policy when a new company takes over the management of Ghana Telecom.

The Minister commissioning 25 computers procured by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the Asamankese Secondary School at the cost 240 million cedis said only 57 out of the 476 SSS have established computer centres, largely through the efforts of PTAs and donors.

He said the Ministry was determined to extend the facility to all second-cycle schools when appropriate structures were provided and asked schools to charge students not more than 30,000 cedis towards the acquisition of computers to make it affordable.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi said steps had been taken to ensure "leakage-free examinations" in the future to avoid the recurrence of the mass leakage of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) question papers, that led to the "painful decision" to cancel it. He appealed to churches and mosques to educate parents and the youth to prepare well for examinations instead of resorting to cheating.

Mr Umar Amoah, District Chief Executive for West Akim, said theAssembly had constructed a science block for the school to serve other SSS in the district while it was sponsoring about 80 students in both secondary and tertiary institutions.

The Chief of Asamankese, Barima Kwaku Amoah, commended the PTA and called on parents to invest more in their children's education instead of dissipating their resources on "enjoyment". The Headmaster, Mr Osafo Begyabeng-Kantanka, commended the PTA for its efforts to improve teaching and learning. He said the classroom boys' dormitory and the access road to the school needed rehabilitation and appealed for assistance.

Over 24.3 million cedis was realised in an appeal for funds towards the computerisation project. Prof. Akumfi-Ameyaw pledged a donation of a computer and five million cedis by the Minister.