ICT needed in Ghana’s knowledge economy – Second Lady

Mrs Matilda Amissah Arthur, wife of the Vice President, on Saturday said the free computer scheme for schools was to assist in training well-rounded students who would be able to run the emerging knowledge-based economy of the country.

She was speaking at the Sixth Congregation of the Holy Child College of Education at Takoradi.

Some 185 students who completed courses in Basic Education and Early Childhood Education in 2012 were presented with diplomas at the congregation.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur said information and communication technology (ICT) was being used to inculcate relevant skills required in a knowledge economy in the students.

She said all over the world, ICT was being employed as an efficient means of offering high quality education that was centred on student learning.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur said teachers should be encouraged to look beyond the confines of the disciplines they taught and create diverse learning experiences, particularly through the use of ICT, in order to motivate their pupils and students and promote their own self-development.

“This trend could drive our responses to the escalating problems of school dropouts, referrals, repetition and poor attendance,” she said.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur said teachers could be motivated and trained through these opportunities to transform the classrooms and develop their own capacity to teach in several circumstances to various groups of children.

“Our teachers must continue to be encouraged and motivated to embrace and overcome the challenge of our advancement into the knowledge based economy and global system,” she said.

Mrs Margaret Lemaire, Principal of the College, said about 106 out of the 185 students were graduating with Diploma in Basic Education and 79 in Early Childhood Education.

She said 16 students obtained Second Class Upper, 89 Second Class Lower, 66 Third Class and 14 had Passes.

Mrs Lemaire said last year, the college presented 179 students out of which six graduated in the Second Class Upper division, 72 in the Second Class Lower division, 65 obtained Third Class and 17 had Passes.

Miss Maud Ghanson Newton emerged the Overall Best Student while Miss Charlotte Sam won five excellence awards.

Mr Alfred Ekow Gyan, Deputy Western Regional Minister, Most Reverend Mathias Kobina Nketsiah, Catholic Archbishop of  Cape Coast and the Apostolic Administrator of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese and Mr Charles Tsegah, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service were among the dignitaries present.

Source: GNA