The Ministry of Education has refuted former President John Dramani Mahama’s claims that the government’s ‘1 Student 1 Laptop’ policy is merely a ploy for vote-buying.
Kwasi Kwarteng, spokesperson for the Education Ministry, emphasized that the initiative serves a strategic purpose in bolstering educational delivery and equipping Ghanaian students for the challenges of the digital age.
Former President John Dramani Mahama alleged that the beneficiaries of the policy, primarily students within the voting demographic, are being targeted for electoral gain through the distribution of laptops.
In response, Mr. Kwarteng, speaking on Eyewitness News, reiterated that the government’s objective is to elevate educational standards to meet the demands of the fourth industrial revolution and to ensure Ghanaian students are competitive on the global stage.
He further clarified that the ‘1 Student 1 Laptop’ initiative transcends high schools, extending its reach to encompass basic education levels through the introduction of smart schools.
“For some time now, the Ministry of Education has been repositioning Ghana’s education to meet what is happening in this fourth industrial revolution. And it is even more reason why even though the government has promised free SHS education, we have also gone beyond that to introduce STEM which is something that this government never promised.
“But with the fourth industrial revolution, it has become very relevant and we cannot just sweep that under the carpet. The digitisation concept is the conversation now, it is the order for the day. All over the world, countries that have been able to use education as the focal point to be able to turn their socio-economic fortunes have been through education.
“But not just any other ordinary education but one that is very relevant within the fourth industrial revolution. That is the reason why we have been talking about STEM and digitisation. In 2021, no elections were impending but the Ministry of Education as part of the effort to reposition Ghana’s education to meet what is happening in this 21st century, deployed 3500 laptops to teachers, at that time, there was no election in view or campaign.
“But it is the continuation of that process. The effort to position Ghana’s education that is why we are also introducing things like smart schools. That is not even limited to those within the senior high schools. It has even gone beyond that to the basic schools” he stated.
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