Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, Minister of Education on Friday announced that from next year, teaching and learning of Information Communication Technology (ICT) related subjects would be made compulsory in all basic and senior high schools throughout the country.
He said the government, in partnership with a United States company had procured an initial 3000 computers to ensure smooth start of the exercise.
Mr Tetteh-Enyo disclosed this at a ceremony by Planting Technology International (PTI) an NGO at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region to dedicate 40 computers fully installed with internet service donated by the PTI to the Yilo-Krobo Senior High School.
Before the donation, six students of the school have had to share one computer during classes, making teaching and learning of the course unattractive and inefficient.
The Minister, whose speech was read for him by Mr Evans Dzikunu, Director of Human Resource at the Ministry of Education, said this was to ensure that students were knowledgeable in the area of ICT before reaching higher levels of education where they would apply the knowledge in their everyday activities.
He said since the use of ICT required literacy, the Ministry was working to improve delivery and content of education to reduce illiteracy and produce a well-round information technology literate society.
He said his Ministry would liaise with the Ministries of Communication and Information to develop the necessary policy and incentives to attract businesses to invest in the provision of infrastructure to make
the use of ICT widespread.
Ms Andrea Papito, Director of Operations at PTI
said the donation was to offer a life-changing experience to the students and the entire township to exploit more opportunities in the world.
Ms Papito said the donation also formed part of the PTI's contribution to transforming lives of people in deprived communities.
The donation to Yilo-Krobo SHS was the second project of the PTI in the country and it is currently working on similar projects at Agogo in the Eastern Region, Nyinampong in the Ashanti Region and Bole in the Northern Region.
She called on the students to make maximum use of the facility to improve their studies.
Mr M.L Bawah, Headmaster of the school appealed to government to renovate the school's boys dormitory, the assembly hall and administration block which are in deplorable conditions.
The Somanya ICT Centre and ceremony was sponsored by Adaex Educational Publications, Cablex Ltd, Coca Cola, Enterprise Africa Business Systems, Geo-Tech Systems LTD, Finatrade, Interplast, Tecmo Ghana Ltd, United Steel Company, Stanbic Bank and Strong Plast.