Government building 3,000 educational infrastructure, 50% of them done – Bawumia

The government will continue to invest in the provision of educational tools and infrastructure in order to ensure quality and relevant teaching and learning, Vice-president Mahamudu Bawumia has assured Ghanaians.

In line with this, the government has embarked on over 3,000 various education infrastructure projects including dormitories, classrooms and dining halls across the country, with nearly 50% of them already completed.

Dr Bawumia, who was speaking at the 60th-anniversary Speech and Prize-giving Day of Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO) on Saturday, 6 November 2021, said the provision of other ‘soft’ infrastructure, such as Wifi, laptops and training, is also receiving very serious attention.

“The goal of quality education can only be attained with appropriate investment in educational infrastructure. It is on the back of this understanding that the government, under the leadership of H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has embarked on over 3,000 various education infrastructure projects across the country, nearly 50% of them already completed”, he said.

“In the Upper East Region, about 164 of education projects have been undertaken, 57% of them already completed,” he disclosed.

“We are also investing in the provision of appropriate technology to digitalize the learning and teaching experience, to prepare our teachers and students to take full advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” the Vice-president continued.

“The government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is committed to providing quality education and providing a conducive environment for teaching and learning, especially in this age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. That is why we have provided free Wi-Fi in 710 Senior High Schools across the country, including Navasco. There is also free Wi-Fi in 46 Colleges of Education, and 13 public universities. 350,000 laptops have also been supplied to teachers across the country. We will be doing even more to make teaching and learning more accessible and reflective of modern trends,” he added.

Vice-president Bawumia advised the students to “shun all negative activities and invest your time and energies in acquiring goods of the mind, imagination, knowledge and creativity and the development of your capabilities and skills for the future”.

“Acts of vandalism, recklessness and defiance to School authority would not make you a proud NABIA and certainly not a good citizen of Ghana”.

“Let me also admonish students on the use of mobile phones and the internet. Our digital and educational revolution requires the use of these instruments. But they must never become inseparable companions and distractions to you. Although the mobile phone has a lot of positives, some students often use them for negative activities and spend more time on the phone to the detriment of their studies. Let us embrace the technological progress for academic excellence.”

Sounding a note of caution to parents and all stakeholders, Vice-president Bawumia emphasized that the training of students into responsible adults was a collective effort, and all must play their part.

Opened on 3rd September 1960 with 66 students and four staff including the Headmaster, Mr J. K. Fiergbor, the Navrongo Senior High School has become a national icon.

The old students are found in all walks of life such as governance, academia, medicine, engineering, industry, security services, administration, education, business, the Bar and Bench, culture and religion.

It currently has a teaching staff strength of 121 and 70 non-teaching staff with a student population of 2,124.