The ruling NPP government has launched the much anticipated one student one tablet innovative which targets SHS students. However, the initiative looks more like an attempt to use these devices to coerce SHS students most of who are of voting age to vote of the NPP in the December 2024 elections.
In all nearly 1.5 million students will be in SHS at the time of the election hence the sharing of these tablets from the resources of the state could influence these students into voting in a certain way.
Is the NPP using this one student one tablet innovative to target at least 1 million votes because they believe students at this level can easily be bought with such freebies?
In 2016, the NPP trumpeted the Free SHS for which reason many voted for Candidates Nana Addo in that elections.
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The vice president Dr Bawumia has also toned a similar path with the one student one laptop project launched today under the Smart Schools Project.
The project could also be an avenue to corruption related practices if ethical considerations and care is not taken.
The decision to make these tablets free is also questionable at a time government has failed to consider the remuneration needs of teachers which compelled them to embark on a strike action.
Our schools we are converting into smart learning centres are saddled with lack of furniture, poor food and nutrition for students who are served junk meals daily.
One would have thought government with tackle the basic challenges confronting our schools to lay solid foundations for growth.
Our basic schools have been neglected leading to their slow development and compounded problems.
As a country, we have continued to exhibit high levels of ignorance on the need to develop out basic education and related infrastructures using which we shall develop smart schools.
Do our schools currently have the needed capacity in terms of electricity supply to help students power or charge these tablets on campus.
By introducing this free tablets for schools are were saying our students are at liberty to bring computers , laptops, mobile devices and related gadgets to school contrary to the GES policy on the use of such gadgets in schools?
While gradually introducing electronic gadgets into schools is great, the government would have dine this nation a lot of good by first introducing smart boards in all second cycle schools for effective teaching and learning.
This would drive IT into the core of teachers work. The success of this will inform on what needs to be done for students in the area of one student one tablet.
With the new approach, teachers will be teaching with their black boards abd chalk, marker and white boards whiles their students use tablets.
Our attempt to innovate must be strategic, well thought of to ensure they achieve the needed results.
What happens if a student’s tablet is stolen or gets damaged? If he or does not get a replacement, how can he or she study since all educational materials he needs will be on it.
What happens if there is no power for students to charge their tablets, how will they be able to study with all their books loaded onto the tablet?
Why didn’t government consider a wireless library where books abd materials can be loaded on it.
It ones and students can use their mobile devices to access these books without the Internet. This option is cheaper considering the cost of one tablet which is between ghs2000 and ghs3000.00 per student.
This One Student One Table initiative looks more of an early vote buying strategy and a misplaced education project by Bawumia. For sure , they will use this to convince parents and students of voting age to vote for the NPP.