The Campaign Team of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has defended the Government’s decision to distribute 3.1 million tablets to Free Senior High School (FSHS) students nationwide.
The Team stated that the tablets were essential learning materials designed to enhance teaching and learning in the SHSs, with the aim of improving students’ academic performance across the country.
It, therefore, rejected assertions that the distribution of the said tablets were “misplaced priority” and a “bribe” to lure the students into voting for the Government in the December polls.
“These tablets come in to provide textbooks, past questions, lesson videos and other educational resources to help teaching and learning and also greatly save cost for all,” Mr Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Director of Communications for the Bawumia Campaign Team, said at a news conference, in Accra, on Tuesday.
Former President and Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, criticized the government’s ‘one student, one tablet’ initiative, labeling it as a “bribe” intended to secure the votes of students in the upcoming elections.
He questioned the government’s decision to purchase tablets when basic teaching and learning materials such as textbooks had not been provided for schools years after the curriculum was changed, describing the policy as a “misplaced priority”.
In response, Mr. Aboagye described the former President’s claims as “unfortunate” and “baffling”, questioning his morality to criticize the initiative given that he had attempted to roll out a similar project in 2016 when in power. He also pointed out that Mr. Mahama had promised in his 2020 Manifesto to distribute tablets to students.
“So, it is baffling how same former President labels distribution of tablets to free SHS beneficiaries as misplaced and a bribe for vote,” he said.
Mr. Aboagye highlighted the significant investment in the education sector since the current administration assumed office in 2017, emphasizing the priority the government has placed on education.
He mentioned that the government had systematically and deliberately worked to transform the sector at all levels. For example, at the kindergarten level, there has been heavy investment in equipping teachers with modern technologies to enhance early childhood development. Age-appropriate learning materials, play equipment, and resources for interactive and engaging learning experiences have also been provided.
Furthermore, through the GETFUND, the government is executing 1,270 infrastructural interventions with cutting-edge technology such as smart boards to widen accessibility and enhance interactive teaching and learning.
At the primary level, Mr. Aboagye noted that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration had implemented various interventions, including extensive training and capacity building for teachers, all aimed at empowering them.
“We have ensured the consistent provision of learning materials and embarked on targeted infrastructure upgrades to create conducive learning environments,” he touted.
Mr. Aboagye further explained that the implementation of the National Standardised Tests for Primary Two to Four students had improved learning outcomes. He noted that proficiency in reading among Primary Two pupils had significantly improved over the past nine years, from two per cent in 2015 to 38 per cent in 2022.
Regarding Junior High School education, Mr. Aboagye stated that the government had strengthened lower secondary education by constructing eleven model schools, each designed with modern amenities, which were currently at various stages of completion.
He also mentioned that through the Ghana National Digital Learning Project, the government was equipping students at the Junior High School level with digital skills to enable them to thrive in the global digital economy.
Mr. Aboagye further indicated that the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector had undergone comprehensive modernization and expansion. New state-of-the-art facilities were under construction, while existing ones were undergoing renovation and upgrading.
In the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, he noted that the government had completed the construction of 10 regional STEM centers to train a complete STEM pipeline from primary through Junior High School to Senior High School.
Mr. Aboagye assured that under a Bawumia-led government, the education sector would continue to witness improvement to develop human resources for development. Policies such as the Free Senior High School (FSHS) would be maintained if Dr. Bawumia was elected President in December 2024, to ensure that no one was left behind.