Schools in the Agona East constituency of the Central Region are in serious distress when it comes to teaching and learning of ICT.
This sad situation has been allegedly caused by the Education Director, Madam Vida Amoah-Mintah, putting the students in uncomfortable situations as far as ICT tuition is concern.
This paper has gathered that the fully equipped mobile ICT Van provided by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. Queenstar Naana Pokuah Sawyerr some two years ago, had been stopped by the Education Director when it got to Duakwa.
The fully equipped mobile ICT Van has been moving from school to school with ICT instructors, giving ICT tuition to students after it became evident that performance of students from Oketsew Basic School, Agona Kwesikum AEDA, Gyasikro, Nkran Asarekwaa Schools have over the years been deprived of ICT tools hence preventing the pupils from sitting for ICT paper in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Meanwhile, the Education Director has suddenly stopped the process with the reason that the instruction for her to stop the van from teaching the students came from “above.”
It has emerged that the ICT instructors were last Wednesday, asked to leave the Duakwa Presby primary school premises by one ICT teacher Mr. Seth Ocran, who according to sources begun the agenda.
Although some of the teachers tried as much as they could to talk to her to rescind her decision and allow the van to continue teaching the students, Madam Vida Amoah-Mintah would not agree but warned all heads of schools not to allow them to teach in their schools otherwise they will be punished.
Speaking to the ICT instructor, Pakman in an interview he mentioned that the van has been in operation for 2 years and has been of immense benefit to both parents and students.
According to him, the ICT Van came in handy to help parents who could not afford to buy computers for their wards.
He also mentioned that, since the introduction of the ICT Van, performance in ICT subject has been phenomenon and appealed to the Ministry of Education and the relevant authorities to see the good that the ICT van brought to the students.
Last two years, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona East, Hon. Queenster Maame Pokua Sawyer handed over the fully-installed and equipped mobile computer laboratory van to the five basic schools in the Constituency.
The gesture was welcomed by the chiefs, clergies, teachers and pupils of the schools who considered it as a great opportunity for students to excel in ICT.
Meanwhile, the MP said her vision was to equip schools with basic tools to realize their potentials, not only for children to excel in ICT in external exams but also to become a unique human asset to fit into modern-day 21st century market demands.
She considered the decision to stop the van from operating as “problematic,” and said she could not understand why such a good initiative will suddenly be attacked.
When Madam Vida Amoah-Mintah, the Education Director who stopped the Van from assisting the students was contacted, she refused to talk on the issue but stated emphatically that “Please I have been advised not to comment on that issue again. I am sorry I can talk to you on that issue.”
By PROSPER AGBENYEGA