CENDLOS, WB develop Ghana Education Technology Strategy
Ghana Education Technology Strategy is being developed to facilitate and promote the use of technology in teaching and learning.
The five-year strategy, which will run from 2025 to 2030, is to help implement the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Education policy of the government.
The development of the strategy is being led by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS), with support from the World Bank (WB).
Opening a two-day workshop, to review and validate the strategy, in Accra, yesterday, the Deputy Director of the Ghana Education Service, Professor Smile Dzisi, reaffirmed government’s commitment to implementing the plan, which was expected to be finalised in May this year.
The workshop is being attended by 50 education, ICT and Cyber security experts with participants drawn from the Ghana Education Service, National Development Planning Commission, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication, Cyber Security Authority, MTN, Telecel, and AT.
Prof. Dzisi said the government was committed to a future where access to quality, relevant, and equitable learning would no longer be a dream, but a reality for every Ghanaian child.
She said “so, as you revise your strategy, please, think about the child in the village, somewhere far away in the north, that you developed something that is very accessible and useful to them as well.”
Prof. Dzisi said the government was ready to work with all ministries, departments, private sector, civil society organisations, and development partners to ensure that the strategy did not remain on paper, but was translated into real change across the country.
An Education Consultant of the World Bank (WB), Professor Kofi Sarpong Adu-Manu, said the strategy was to help provide direction in the implementation of ICT in education policy.
Prof. Adu-Manu said the strategy document detailed what to do with each of the policy areas that had been outlined in the ICT in education policy.
He said the document was focused more on 13 strategic pillars he mentioned included governance, management and administration, infrastructure, connectivity, localised content, and capacity building.
Prof. Adu-Manu said the strategy also considered Artificial Intelligence (AI), and outlined what the government should do to ensure that the country utilised the emerging technology.
The Executive Director of CENDLOS, Dr Diyawanu Mumin, said the development of the Ghana Education Technology Strategy marked a significant milestone towards the transformation of education through technology.
He said the workshop was to reflect, refine and align the strategy in line with the country’s ICT policy.
The Senior Education Specialist of the WB, Eunice Akwerh, said the World Bank was proud to be associated with the programme.
She said technology was evolving so fast and that was the reason why the World Bank sought funding for the development of the strategy.
FROM KINGSLEY ASARE, ABURI
