Ghana: Tertiary Institutions Urged to Invest in Technology to Promote Equitable Education
Tertiary institutions have been urged to invest in technology to promote education in the country.
"Equitable access to reliable and cost-effective technology will go a long way to promote teaching and learning in a more sustainable manner and ensure than no one is left behind," the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana,Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi, has said.
Speaking at the launch of the 25th year anniversary of the University of Ghana, she said the pandemic underscored the importance of constant investments in the future to build resilience and strong safety nets in order to reduce inequities and exclusion from our socio-economic development efforts.
"Emerging from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new emphasis on Nurturing resilience: Adopting technology, and embracing humanism, is welcome and in the right direction," she said.
Mrs Awadzi emphasised that technology enabled the adaptations that were necessary to reduce the fallout from the pandemic including the impact on teaching and learning, existing gaps in access to technology introduced disparities in the extent to which some were able to cope with disruptions from the pandemic.
"We must modernize how we teach relevant subjects. What technological facilities can we deploy to teach them more effectively? How can we take advantage of technological advancements to provide relevant skills for students? How can we attract the best experts and practitioners from home and abroad to help with cutting-edge research and teaching in innovative ways?" she stressed.
Mrs Awadzi said students who had no access to electronic devices and/or had no access to cost-effective and reliable internet connectivity to support their online learning were suddenly facing new hurdles in pursuing their educational dreams.
The Second Deputy Governor lauded the university for its recently launched 'One Student, One Laptop' (1S1L) programme, where about 120 students had been provided laptops, deserves applause.
Mrs Awadzi entreated corporate bodies and well-meaning Ghanaians to support the initiative to ensure that all needy students received the support.
"As we prepare to start a year of much-deserved celebrations to mark this important milestone, it is imperative that we look into the future with new ways of thinking and pursuing our vision and goals," she said.
The Second Deputy Governor stressed "The pursuit of "world-class" excellence should be a moving target, and as times change, that vision should be calibrated to deliver outcomes that keep this great institution relevant."
Mrs Awadzi said "The pandemic taught us the benefit of resilience, preparation, and adaptability. Resilient organisations anticipate change, prepare for change by making adequate investments in systems that will help to deal with such changes, and adapt effectively to change."
She said the University of Ghana's Vice Chancellor's bold and audacious vision to 'create a culture that promotes research, teaching and learning, administrative processes and extension activities driven by technology and anchored in humanism' was commendable.
Mrs Awadzi commended University of Ghana for the role it had played in the country's development, saying the University had produced academics who had contributed diversely for the country economic development.
Gloss