The forum is expected to tackle the current situation of I.C.T in schools within the district and to find some possible solution to them. The Community Information Centre is the only I.C.T laboratory open to the general public and schools in the district.
Opened in 2006 and started effective operation in 2008, the centre has so far made a very impressive move on tackling I.C.T in the district. So far, it has trained 38 students from the L/A Junior High School to be I.C.T trainer in other to help in training their colleagues back at home and in school. It is also at the moment training the staff of the G.E.S in Walewale and hope to extend to teachers in the district.
This evening, the I.C.T club of L/A Junior High School embark on a clean up exercise as preparation towards tomorrows forum.
As the boys took active part in clearing the bushes, the girls played a role by collecting the bushes but Ruhiya, the president of Club 'A' made the girls proud by proving to the saying 'WHAT MEN CAN DO, WOMEN CAN EVEN DO IT BETTER', when she took a cutlass and joined the boys in action to clear the area.
The forum is coming off tomorrow the 29th of June at 9:am. The venue will be at the Community Information Centre.
After managing to clear the bush, it was then time to put up the canopies in other to ease up things tomorrow for the ceremony. The children reported on Ghana time and so we had to work till night to make sure everything was in other before tomorrow.
Guest speaker for the occasion is Alhaji Mohammed Haroon, the district director of education and also a supporting member of the Community Information Centre I.C.T team. The mother of the Club, Charlotte Cashman, will be doing the introduction as usual and later speaking on the progress the C.I.C have made so far in the training of I.C.T and the difficulties it has faced in the training, and she will be doing that with Mahama. I. Mashood, I.C.T trainer and website manager. Anna and Louisa will help getting all the discussion togehter. Mark Akansighe will be welcoming the guest with a powerful address. We also have Mr. Stephen C.I.C cordinator and Representative of IICD, who will be giving us briefing of what IICD does in promoting I.C.T. The event is sponsored by IICD / CTA.
The Master of Ceremony(MC) for the day will be Daniel Bajaba.
We wish to welcome any one who is interested to the forum.
I.C.T CLUB STUDENTS PUTTING UP THE CANOPIES.
I.C.T CLUB STUDENTS HELPING TO BRING DOWN CANOPY BARS FROM THE TRACK
The programme started 9:45am and Pastor Jonathan Banayire was called to lead the gathering into the hands of God for the commencement of the forum.
Mr. Mark Akansighe manager of C.I.C welcomed the guests to the programme and Charlotte Cashman a T.S.O/V.S.O of the G.E.S in Walewale introduced Alhaji Mohammed Haroon the District Director of Education as chairman of the affair.
Alhaji Mohammed Haroon was pleased and accepted to steer the affair to a successful end, and therefore called on every one to give him their maximun coorperation.
The Northern Region Coordinator for IICD, Mr. Agbenyo John Stephen briefed the gathering of the role IICD plays in the Community Information centres and stated that IICD will be donating some equipments to the Walewale C.I.C and mentioned the items as a photocopier machine, digital camera, projector etc. He stated again that he coordinating for 10 C.I.C's in the Northern Region and added that IICD works in partnership with C.T.A. Mr. Stephen also told the gathering that IICD extends its service into the agriculture sector and therefore challenged every one to take I.C.T seriously.
MR. STEPHEN AGBENYO IICD COORDINATOR
The Chairman and guest speaker Alhaji Mohammed Haroon in a speech gave an insight of the new educational reform which started in 2007 and stated that the philosophy that ' education should result in the formation of well-balanced individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills, values, attitudes to become functional and productive citizens'. And so for the products of the New Educational System to become functional and productive citizens, they need to be globally educated hence the need for I.C.T in their curriculum in order to make them global citizens of the global world.
ALHAJI MOHAMMED HAROON
DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION FOR WEST MAMPRUSI
He further went on to give a breakdown of the New Reform structure as; 2:6:3:4. That is two(2) years of kindergarten education, six (6) years of primary schooling, three (3) years of Junior High and four (4) years of Senior High School which is being debated at the moment making basic education eleven (11) years to complete. Again, pre-university students will now be;
- S.H.S- 4 YEARS - Polytechnic 3 years
- Post Secondary Tr. Training (Diploma) -3
- Technical Schools - 4 years
- Vocational schools- 4 years
- Nursing Training College- 3 years and
- Agricultural Institutions- 4 years
He also gave the curriculum content of the New structure - subject areas. He mentioned the J.H.S, S.H.S level as follows;
J.H.S
- English
- Mathematics
- Social Studies
- Integrated Science including Agricultural Science, a Ghanaian Language,
Technical, Vocational and Agric. Education and Training (Pre-technical· Vocational). - Information and Communication Technology. (lCT) and French.
S.H.S
- English
- Mathematics
- Integrated Science
- Social Studies and Information and Communication Technology (I.C.T)
He added that in addition to the core subjects every candidate is to offer one of the following course programmes;
- Agriculture
- Business
- Technical
- Vocational (Home Economics or Visula Arts) or General Arts or General Science.
- Building Trades
- Business Studies
- Electrical Engineering
- Hospital Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering and
- Agricture
He went further to add that government has recognized that, in the present global world, every educated citizen should be computer literate in order to access information and communicate well. It is also clear that the subjects and courses at the J.H.S and S.H.S demand computer literacy as well if candidates are to function well after completion. This is the first time government policy is including I.C.T in the content of education as a matter of national priority. Moreover, he went on, due to the importance of I.C.T in education, the Ministry of Education has been facilitating teaching and learning at all level of education.
He mentioned some successes we have made so far as a nation which are;
- Children have been introduced to it. Hitherto, they were ignorant.
- Children enthusiasm has been whipped up since they are now aware of its usefulness.
- Parents are also now excited that their children are doing I.C.T in order to become global citizens and are engaging people privately to teach their children.
- Teachers handing the subject also take prestige in doing so.
- Students now access website for textbooks and other educational information.
- An I.C.T policy has been developed by the Ministry of Education with the support of the Global e-schools and Communities (GeSCI). The National I.C.T in Education Co-ordinating Committee is in place.
He mentioned syllabus children are expected to know in I.C.T as
a) Software
b) Hardware
1. There are no ICt teachers trained yet by the Ministry of Education
- Employment of ICT teachers still in limbo. They are not yet on the employment or recruitment establishment.
2. Scarce textbooks in ICT
3. Computers not in schools
4. Most schools are not connected to electricity.
5. Expensive Broadband Internet charge which makes it unsustainable.
He went on again by mentioning some of the chalenges as lack of electricity in the schools, lack of I.C.T teachers in the system, lack of computers in J.H.schools and lack of access to internet connectivity becuase of the cost involve.
He sumarised his speech by stating some possible solutions for a way forward as;
- Teachers should be trained in ICT at College Level
2. Workshops or In Service Training to be organized for those handling it on
voluntary basis.
3. Computer Labs to be established in schools.
4. Computers to be supplied
5. Schools should be connected to electricity.
6. Solar panels should be supplied to rural schools
7. Increase budget allocation for ICT consumables and for repairs and servicing of computers and accessories.
8. ICT textbooks should be made abundant
9. Broadband internet connections in schools should be borne by the Ghana Education Service (Govt.)
10. Internet Services should block websites with pornographic scenes
In conclusion, the District Director advised every one to take I.C.T seriously, because it is a future skill which is in to stay and we can not do anything about it than to learn and said “Even though I.C.T is going to play a major role in this current educational system, a lot more things are yet to be put in place. The planning should have been done years ago before the policy pronouncement and implementation”
Mr. Mahama. I. Mashood I.C.T Trainer and Website Manager of the District took the microphone and with the support of Charlotte Cashman, the mother of the I.C.T Club. The two gave the Progress they have made so far in bringing I.C.T to light in the district. Mr. Mashood told the guest that the Community Information Centre which was opened in 2006 but started working effectively in 2008 is intented to serve as an information hub of the district and also to trained people in the district on I.C.T. He went further by saying that, in 2008 the management of the C.I.C gave free training to students in the district for two weeks and saw the interest in the students to learn I.C.T, and so the need to start clubs in the schools with the help of Charlotte Cashman and Mike Cashman.
Charlotte Cashman took the microphone from this point and continued by saying how they visited the C.I.C and met Mr. Mashood who explained to them how the C.I.C was set up with 10 computers and the need to trained people in I.C.T . The two couple with Mr.Mashood taught of forming I.C.T clubs in the schools, and so decided to start with L/A Junior High School since it was the closest school to the C.I.C.
So two clubs were formed in L/A J.H.S, 20 members from each club making a total of 40 students. 10 girls/ 10 boys from each club. But some where a long the line we lost 7 members because they were not dedicated and that was one of the rules a club member should do. The students also wanted ownership of their clubs so they came out with the idea of electing a president and assistant from each club. She went on by adding that, the students also needed to have T-shirts for the club and so payed money to get the T-shirts printed, she also informed the gathering that, with the help of the District Director and the District Assembly, the club went on an excussion to Paga crocodile porn, the slave camp and the Navrongo irrigation dam by contributing. She continued by saying that the students did this to show how happy they feel to belong to an I.C.T club and also being the first members of an I.C.T club to be formed in the district.
Next on the agenda, was to have a discussion in groups. And the topics for discussions were;
Why is ICT important for you?
What are the main challenges in learning ICT in your school?
How will you address these challenges?
