Presby Education Unit launches ICT project(Wednesday, October 10, 2012 Page 22)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga A project that seeks to improve the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and applications by teachers and school administrators in teaching and learning as well as management of school based data has been launched by the Presbyterian Education Unit. The Project which is a partnership between the Upper Presbyterian of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and some Dutch Developments Organisation under a scheme known as Connect for Change has an overall objective of improving teaching and learning performance of students at the basic level in three pilot schools within the jurisdiction of the church leading to an increase in passes at the Basic Education Certificate Examinations by 30 per cent by 2015. The ICT project coordinator, Mr. Cletus Zoot noted that ICT is now regarded to have promising features to enhance and support teaching and learning practice in schools adding that it is considered in the educational institutions as one way to addressing the poor performance of pupils. He said while government is making efforts in this direction that is not enough hence the need for other stakeholders, such as the Presbyterian Education Unit to come in. Mr. Zoot explained that each of the beneficiary schools, Bolgatanga Presby JHS, Garu Presby JHS and Gambaga Presby JHS, will get, one laptop computer for administration, one printer, one projector, seven desktop computers, a wireless modem and one Uninterrupted Power Supply device. He said in the long term, the project hopes to eestablish a well resourced computer laboratory for each of the pilot schools, installed with e-content and data mgt software for administrators and teachers to improve data collection and teaching and learning. Mr. Zoot also expressed the hope that this will help bbuild the capacity of teachers in the pilot schools to use ICT tools to research and assess information for teaching and learning. The Chairman of the Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Esmund Wasau Nagba said the time has come for the religious bodies and the State to deepen their partnership to ensure good quality education. Rev. Nagba noted that quality education is the hallmark of every progressive nation adding that for quality education to take place essential ingredients such as infrastructure, well trained, fully equipped and motivated teachers, teaching and learning materials, as well as pupil friendly environment must be in place to achieve results. He said the PCG since its establishment has contributed immensely to education delivery by working in partnership with the government in the establishment of primary schools, Senior High School and Colleges of Education. Rev. Nagba said the Presbyterian Church is synonymous with discipline and as such the church places mush premium to setting very high moral standards but sadly as the system stand today, the desired results are not being achieved. He identify indiscipline among the youth, of today, breakdown of moral fibre in some schools, lack of supervision and monitoring, lack of commitment and passion for teaching by teachers amongst others as some of the challenges facing the system. He therefore renewed the call that the religious bodies to be given full control of their schools to restore discipline and restore discipline and bring about the quality desired. A retired educationist, Mr. Francis Avonsige t was important for the religious bodies and the government as well as society, parents, teachers and school children to play their expected roles to achieve quality education. Mr. Avonsige, a former District Director of Education while calling on religious bodies to embark on a campaign for increased enrolment of pupils in school through community sensitisation and weekly sermons, developing and rolling out of a system for providing support to needy children, monitoring of the schools also called on government to ensure the provision of logistics such as furniture for both pupils and teachers as well as initiation of procurement processes for the rehabilitation of all school blocks and construction of new ones as and when necessary. -End-