In a recent announcement during the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Hohoe Evangelical Presbyterian Senior High School, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia revealed the government's intention to introduce laptops as a substitute for textbooks in all Senior High Schools (SHS) across Ghana.
The initiative according to him, aims to equip students with digital resources and prepare them to thrive in the global village.
However, the proposal has sparked controversy, with Member of Parliament for Kintampo North Constituency in the Bono East region, Joseph Kwame Kuma questioning its feasibility.
Joseph Kwame Kuma, who is also a member of the Education Committee in Parliament, dismissed the policy as an impossibility. He pointed out that the government has struggled to replace textbooks in basic schools following the change in curriculum.
Speaking in an interview with Kwabena Mensah Abrompah on Radio Univers on June 8, 2023, Joesph Kuma claimed that many schools are yet to receive the new textbooks, citing his own constituency, Kintampo North, where only a fraction of the required books has been distributed.
He urged the media to investigate the actual number of schools that have received the promised textbooks, emphasizing the need for transparency and honesty in the government's educational initiatives.
"My brother, we are joking about educational issues, so we will continue to discuss them. Even the textbooks that they claimed to have changed with the new curriculum and supplied to schools, I urge the media to follow up and find out the number of schools that have received these textbooks for basic education.
“In my constituency, Kintampo North, only five books have been supplied for a class of 30 students - five for Mathematics, eight for Science, and eight for English. Let's be genuine and not deceive ourselves. If the resources are not available, we shouldn't claim they are.
“Where are the laptops for teachers? Have we been able to supply laptops to the teachers? And now we are talking about e-books. How many students are supposed to hold those tablets? The number of Senior High Schools we have is relatively small. Please, please, please,” he said.
He further highlighted the lack of WiFi systems and internet connectivity in many communities, making it near impossible to implement the proposed laptop initiative.
“I urge the media to assist us in investigating the current state of basic education textbooks. The textbooks are not available, and it is disheartening. We should be truthful. I don't understand why politicians in Africa say things that are not true and still retain their positions while white politicians resign in such situations.
“We are taken for granted too often. Why? My brother, it is impossible. How many Senior High Schools have access to WiFi and internet connectivity? How many communities have network connectivity? How many?"
In addition, he questioned how the government could expect to provide laptops and E-books to students when it has been unable to supply teachers with laptops, arguing that even basic schools with smaller student populations have not received adequate resources, making it even more challenging to implement such a program on a larger scale in Senior High Schools.
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Joseph Kwame Kuma, MP for Kintampo North
