Govt exploring options to reduce cost of internet access for teaching and learning - Minister
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has assured teachers that the government will continue to collaborate with telecommunication firms in the country to reduce the cost of accessing online platforms for teaching and learning.
That, he said will encourage more teachers to use digital platforms for teaching, and ultimately improve learning outcomes.
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In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Gifty Twum Ampofo, at the launch of a pilot study on a digital platform used by teachers, he said the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the accelerated pace at which technology was transforming, left those in the education sector with no option than to leverage on technology for better learning outcomes.
Study
The pilot study, spearheaded by the National Teaching Council (NTC), Instill Education, a Pan-African higher education institution, aims to revolutionise educational leadership, teaching and learning in Ghanaian schools.
The digital platform further provides the Ghanaian teacher with accessible, practical professional development.
The minister further urged teachers to take advantage of technology to strengthen student learning and their cognitive skills.
Progress
The Chairman of the event, Prof Jophus Anamuah explained that in order for the education sector to progress, “we need to develop teaching and leadership strategies to prepare students and teachers for the future”.
He stressed the importance of superior training for teachers in order for students to achieve quality education adding “The destiny of nations relies on what teachers teach in the classroom”.
The Registrar of the National Teaching Council (NTC), Dr Christian Addai-Poku, underscored the need to bridge the challenges in education through technology and to create hybrid learning systems to overcome obstacles such as adverse climatic conditions, politics and public health.
He noted that the Council’s professional programme had trained over 80,000 teachers through online platforms.
Collaboration
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Instill Education, Alim Ladha, expressed his outfit’s readiness to collaborate in the education sector reformation and transformation.
“For Africa to rise, we need to get to the heart of education and to get to the heart of education, we need to collaborate with the people that matter,” he added.