Mr Asifu Patrick Larbi, Headmaster of the Gbawe Methodist Basic “1” School, has called on benevolent organizations to help the school to build an Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory to enhance the teaching and learning ICT.
He said the school had one ICT tutor who used the only laptop in the school to teach the subject to pupils from the Basic Four to the upper Junior High School classes.
“In terms of materials and equipment the whole school can boast of just one laptop serving over 400 pupils and the headmaster also uses it for his administrative work.”
The headmaster made the appeal when Connect Trade Network (CTN), a Non-Governmental Organization presented a laptop and rims of A4 sheets to the school after offering IT training to some 70 pupils from the JSS 2 and JSS 3 classes in school.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Larbi said the situation had affected learning outcomes, particularly when education was evolving around ICT.
He called on the public to assist the school to acquire ICT equipment to augment their existing one.
The training programme which lasted for six weeks, introduced the pupils to concepts like Introduction to ICT, Microsoft Office including word, excel, PowerPoint, Web and Graphic designing, as well career guidance and counselling sessions.
Certificates were presented to participating pupils.
Miss Esther Mensah, Project Manager, Connect Trade Network (CTN), said, the network chose the Gbawe Methodist Basic “1” School because the school’s situation resonated with their objective of equipping the youth with basic ICT skills and web and graphic design skills.
She said the training would help consolidate the basics of ICT for the pupils as they moved higher on the academic ladder.
“We taught them ICT because it is an elective subject at the SHS so that they could build upon it.”
Augustine Ohene Nyarko Mensah, one of the 14 tutors who led the training called on the corporate world to support the school with the necessary infrastructure to help nurture the potential of the pupils.
He said though the school was challenged with issues of electricity and ICT equipment, the participants excelled in the training.
Perseus Avorgbedor, School Prefect, who scored 99 per cent in the training emerged as the best overall.
He commended the Network for the intervention and assured that they would put the training to use.
