Ambassador Lee Ocran, Ghana’s outgoing Education Minister, said the initiative was part of the government’s ongoing interventions to integrate the application of ICT into the country’s various academic institutions.
Ocran was speaking at the official handover of 8,928 laptops to basic schools in the Central region, making it the ninth to enjoy the project which began in 2012.
Under the initiative, 372 basic schools in the Central Region will receive 24 laptops each, a trolley and other accessories that will aid ICT education and research.
The goal is to distribute 60,000 under the Basic School Computerization Project which the Education Ministry is undertaking with funds provided by the Ghana Education Trust Fund.
The laptops are being locally assembled by Rlg Communications, which is undertaking the supply of the laptops.
Ocran said in the next phase, the project will shift its focus to teachers, 50,000 of whom will get a laptop each that will assist them in their research and development of teaching methodologies.
“Eventually we want to replace the use of chalk and blackboards with computers and projectors in teaching and learning,” Ocran said.
Emmanuel Arthur, Corporate Affairs Manager of Rlg communications, advised teachers and students to utilise the equipment provided.