The Minority in Parliament has taken a swipe at the government over the launch of the Smart Student initiative, which the President launched on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Although the government claims the initiative will benefit every Ghanaian student, the minority says the one student, one tablet initiative will only benefit some selected students.
The statement, which was issued and signed by a Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Dr. Apaak, said the tablet initiative will benefit less than a quarter of students.
Speaking at the ceremony, the president disclosed that plans were underway to distribute smart tablets to 1.3 million senior high school (SHS) students nationwide.
President Akufo-Addo also indicated that approximately 100 smart SHSs are slated for construction across the country within the next two years, aiming to enhance the learning environment and educational opportunities for students nationwide.
But the reaction by the Minority said “Clearly, they have failed, because they have only provided tablets to less than a quarter of the population of Ghanaian students. This is obviously a cheap attempt to hoodwink unsuspecting Ghanaians into voting for Bawumia in the general elections, this year”.
According to the statement, the NDC was not against the distribution of laptops to students to help enhance teaching and learning as they captured that in their 2020 manifesto on page 57, under Education (promise123): Improve ICT facilities and curriculum on ICT, notes that “Curriculum approved and rolled out,” stating further that “Discussions are ongoing for distribution of tablets to JHS and SHS students.”
However, the NPP has failed to fulfil its manifesto promise by providing tablet for every Ghanaian student.
The statement said the NPP promised in its 2020 manifesto that it would provide tablet for both students in our senior and junior high schools.
It was therefore the expectation of the minority that the government would have provided tablets to 2,780,115 students in Ghana, not the figure they have currently published.
The statement further highlighted that the government has, through GETFUND, procured only 450,000 tablets for a total of 2,780,115 students.
“It is worth noting, that no provision has been made either in the 2024 budget, or the recently passed 2024 GETFUND formula to procure additional tablets.”
It added “This means, that a whopping 2,330,115 students in both SHS and JHS will not receive the tablets. With the 450,000 tablets being given to only SHS students, it means the remaining 881,219 SHS students will not have some; and no JHS student will have one.
Again, it is worth noting that the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia government has failed to tell Parliament and the people of Ghana the unit cost of the 450,000 tablets procured through GETFUND. This is clearly a government that has no regard for transparency and accountability. Even worse, it has no policy to guide the method of distribution and use of the tablets.
This means, that a whopping 2,330,115 students in both SHS and JHS will not receive the tablets. With the 450,000 tablets being given to only SHS students, it means the remaining 881,219 SHS students will not have some; and no JHS student will have one.”
It also cautioned the government not to select schools based on partisan political considerations, where schools in districts with NPP MPs are selected and districts with non-NPP MPs left out.
Read the full statement below
‘ONE STUDENT, ONE TABLET’ TURNED INTO TABLETS FOR ONLY SOME STUDENTS
The NDC Minority in Parliament, once again, is compelled to expose President Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Bawumia for trying to deceive Ghanaians, that they have fulfilled a campaign promise to provide tablets to ALL Ghanaian students.
Clearly, they have failed, because they have only provided tablets to less than a quarter of the population of Ghanaian students. This is obviously a cheap attempt to hoodwink unsuspecting Ghanaians into voting for Bawumia in the general elections, this year.
- It is important to state, that the NDC is not against the provision of tablets to students to enhance their learning experience. In the NDC’s 2020 Peoples’ manifesto, on page 70, under ‘7.2: Providing Globally Competitive And Quality Education,’ it is stated in 7.2.3(k) that the NDC will; “Provide students and teachers with free tablets loaded with relevant content to facilitate teaching and learning.”
- The failed Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led NPP in its 2020 manifesto on page 57, under Education (promise123): Improve ICT facilities and curriculum on ICT, notes that “Curriculum approved and rolled out,” stating further that “Discussions are ongoing for distribution of tablets to JHS and SHS students.”
- Note, that per data from the Ghana Education Service presented to Parliament during the 2024 budget process, the total number of students in our public Senior High School (SHS) was given as 1,331,219 (1.3 million), while the total number of students in public Junior High Schools (JHS) stood at 1,448,896 (1.4 million). This brings the total number of students in our Senior and Junior High Schools to 2,780,115. What the NPP manifesto promised, was tablets for ALL students; which means tablets for 2,780,115 students in Ghana.
- After seven long years (and still counting) of failing to fulfill this promise, and now with only nine months to go to general elections, the failed Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia-led government has, through GETFUND, procured only 450,000 tablets for a total of 2,780,115 students. It is worth noting, that no provision has been made either in the 2024 budget, or the recently passed 2024 GETFUND formula to procure additional tablets.
- This means, that a whopping 2,330,115 students in both SHS and JHS will not receive the tablets. With the 450,000 tablets being given to only SHS students, it means the remaining 881,219 SHS students will not have some; and no JHS student will have one.
- Again, it is worth noting that the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia government has failed to tell Parliament and the people of Ghana the unit cost of the 450,000 tablets procured through GETFUND. This is clearly a government that has no regard for transparency and accountability. Even worse, it has no policy to guide the method of distribution and use of the tablets.
- Given, that government has not procured enough tablets to ensure that at least all SHS students get access to these tablets, what criteria will be used to decide and select which students in which schools are to receive these tablets?
- Now that the government has failed to produce enough tablets to enable every SHS and JHS student get a tablet as promised, should government decide to pilot the one student one laptop programme, how will the schools be selected?
- At this juncture, we are cautioning the government not to select schools based on partisan political considerations, where schools in districts with NPP MPs are selected and districts with non-NPP MPs left out.
We call on Ghanaians to hold the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia-led NPP government accountable for failing to fulfil the promise of providing ALL students in SHS and JHS with tablets, despite receiving the most revenue in the history of Ghana. With the quantum of revenue this government has been lucky to have at its disposal, from 2017 to present, it’s such a shame that it could only procure 450,000 tablets when we have 1,331,219 (1.3 million) students in SHS and 1,448,896 (1.4 million) in JHS.
Obviously, the government has once again failed to fulfill its promise to the people. Ghanaians, as usual, can be trusted to see through the razzmatazz attached to the launching of the programme and recognize it as an election campaign gimmick.
Signed
Dr. Clement Apaak
MP, Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member, Education Committee of Parliament
Source: rainbowradioonline.com
