How can the teaching and learning of Information Communication Technology (ICT) be effective without computers? This is an appalling situation!
All students have an equal right to quality education. Most students, however, are unable to access this because they live in deprived communities. As a country, our development is dependent on delivering quality education to our children as it is a tool with which to empower the next generation to be productive citizens.
This is the primary reason why every child must have access to quality education.
Modernisation has increased demands for the acquisition of foundational skills and the application of knowledge as opposed to content transmission, which does not provide an optimal learning experience for students.
It is interesting to note that about 95% of current global jobs are in the domain of ICT and if our students are not well equipped with computers, it will ultimately affect their employability and limit their access and ability to thrive in the ever-changing world.
My question therefore is: what is the quality of the ICT education we are providing today and how can we ever bridge the global gap?
The Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) talks about ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. I am afraid our education system is far from equitable. Students write the same examination but do not have equal learning facilities and opportunities.
Some schools are even given verbal approval to commence without proper supervision by the appropriate office. The kind of school a student enrols influences the grades he or she makes.
Ghana's Education Strategic Plan 2003 suggests the integration of ICT in teaching and learning processes. What the Ministry of Education (MOE) through the Ghana Education Service (GES) has successfully accomplished is to make ICT an examinable subject. The big question is, how are they improving ICT education when schools do not have a single computer to teach with?
Notwithstanding the efforts made by MOE and GES through their policies, there is much more work to be done. Beyond the inclusion of ICT in the teaching syllabus, we must also ensure that every child acquires adequate applied knowledge through the usage of ICT devices rather than the 'chalk and talk' approach.
ICT teachers cannot keep double-clicking and opening documents on the blackboard.
Hands-on experience in ICT helps students to develop critical thinking abilities, psychomotor skills and human relations (by different ways of communication and collaboration). This present to them with more opportunities and also the possibilities of bridging the global gap.
The role of ICT in improving lives, businesses and enhancing quality education cannot be underestimated. ICT is critical to our development as a country, therefore we must pay keen attention to provide quality ICT education for our learners.
How do we resolve this then? Institutions of learning must be equipped and facilitated to carry out quality ICT education. Where government has not provided enough, we need to step in, in our little ways, to support the future generation.
Teaching and learning of ICT cannot be effective without applied knowledge or practical skills. I feel our contribution counts and would make a great impact on the learning of ICT.
As an ICT teacher at Dakpema M/A Junior High School in Tamale, I appeal to you to help my school purchase computers in your own small way. Every cedi is valuable as it will support the school to promote skills and applied knowledge in ICT education.
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