By Samuel Ofori Boateng
Jimiso (Ash), Oct. 5, GNA – Mr Isaac Kwabena Newlove, a Ghanaian businessman based in the United States of America, has donated 12 computers and accessories to the Jimiso Methodist primary and kindergarten school in the Obuasi East District.
He also presented two printers, speakers and three projectors to the school.
The items are to facilitate the teaching and learning of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the school.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr. Newlove said his attention was drawn to the plight of most Ghanaian public schools in accessing ICT materials in their teaching and learning activities after watching a documentary on YouTube.
He said he had always been willing to assist in improving education in his native Jimiso.
He said currently, the ICT sector, though relatively young in Ghana, had become a burgeoning sector, which was expanding the economies of nations, attracting investments, providing job opportunities and enhancing productivity.
Mr Newlove called on the school authorities to make the teaching of ICT a major priority in the school by taking advantage of the computers he had donated.
Mr Kwabena Owusu Nketia, Obuasi East District Education Director, lauded Mr Newlove for the donation, stressing that they would go a long way to support the teaching and learning of ICT in the school.
He said through the District Assembly, the Member of Parliament and AngloGold Ashanti had been actively supporting education in the district.
It was, therefore, important for other stakeholders including individuals and groups to also come onboard to assist in improving the standard of education in the district.
On the state of education in the district, Mr Nketia said the Directorate’s programme to improve the reading abilities in school children at the basic level, which was introduced last year had started yielding positive results
“Hitherto, 52 per cent and 64 per cent of pupils at the basic could read in English and Twi respectively, but now, due to our 100-days reading programme, 95 per cent of children could read English materials, while 86 per cent of them can read in Twi”.
Madam Ruth Ofori, Headmistress of Jimiso Methodist Primary/KG, also thanked the donor for the gesture, saying, the computers had come as a huge relief to both teachers and pupils since the school had been grappling with inadequate computers to aid the teaching of ICT.
Madam Ofori appealed to the Government to put up a library in the school to enhance the reading abilities of the pupils.
GNA