The Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has rehabilitated a 40-year-old classroom block at Labolabo D/A Basic School, which was previously in deplorable condition.
The classrooms suffered from poor ventilation, excessive heat, and poor illumination. The rehabilitated classrooms now feature large windows, ceiling fans, lighting, and electricity.
During the commissioning of the project, the lack of computers for practical Information and Communication Technology ( ICT) learning became apparent.
The lack of ICT facilities in public basic schools in Ghana continues to affect learners’ interest in leveraging IT to improve learning outcomes and solve societal problems.
According to Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), by the end of the 2022/2023 academic year, only 15 percent of the 15,368 public primary schools had functional ICT facilities. Additionally, only 13 percent of the 11,735 public JHS had functioning ICT facilities.
The report further noted that while national electricity coverage in Ghana exceeds 80%, only 44% of primary schools and 63.9% of JHSs had access to power supply as of 2020, hampering the effective use of ICT even where facilities are available. It recommended that political parties address the ICT gap in their 2025-2028 education policies.
The lack of access to ICT at Labolabo D/A Basic School in Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region is hampering students’ innovative skills.
However, three Junior High School learners—Robert, Agbanu, and Albert—have defied the odds. After a few weeks of lessons in robotics at Peki provided by a non-governmental organization, they produced a prototype GSM door sensor capable of sending real-time information to mobile phones.
They believe more can be achieved if they have access to ICT in the school.
Gyimah Kelvin Amoah, an ICT Teacher at Labolabo D/A Basic School, shares this view.
“In fact the pupils over here really enjoy the computer aspect and have the passion to learn but then we don’t have computers. So we are hoping that now that we have the building, and electricity at least even when we get a projector we can use our personal laptops to teach the ICT to have more practical sessions. Now we just go by the theory aspect and if there are images we show it to them”.The teacher of ICT lamented.
Motivated by learner’s strong desire to use ICT to solve society’s problems, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu, who joined the Asuogyaman MP to commission the project, pledged to donate ten laptop computers to the school for practical teaching of ICT.
Asuogyaman MP Thomas Ampem Nyarko urged the school management to ensure frequent maintenance of the facility and its ICT assets.
With the current rehabilitation of Labolabo D/A Basic School connected to electricity, the establishment of an ICT laboratory will help improve educational outcomes for learners and enhance their skills and creativity with the power of ICT.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
