By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Aug. 29, GNA – The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has called on the government to support the adoption and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform education in the country.
Professor Damasus Tuurosong, the National President of GNAPS, who made the call, stressed that the world was evolving at a faster pace with the help of AI and other technological advancements, and Ghana could not afford to be left behind.
He underscored the critical role of AI in enhancing teaching and learning and emphasized the urgent need for the government to put in place the necessary digital infrastructure to harness its potential for growth and inclusive educational outcomes.
“If as a country we fail to act with urgency and purpose to build the necessary infrastructure, we risk losing out on the unimaginable benefits of AI,” Professor Tuurosong said this at the 39th GNAPS/S4D General Conference held in Bolgatanga.
“Let me state emphatically that if AI is to be a tool for transformation, it must not become a weapon of exclusion. Every child, whether in a classroom in East Legon or Talensi, deserves a fair shot at tomorrow through AI,” he added.
The conference, held on the theme: “Artificial Intelligence: A Tool for Driving Education in the 21st Century”, brought together members of the association, key stakeholders in education, political actors, and traditional leaders.
Professor Tuurosong indicated that although AI was a transformative tool capable of empowering generations for sustainable growth, when misused, it could also become a weapon of destruction.
He called on the government to lead the responsible integration of AI across sectors by supporting all schools, whether public or private, to introduce AI into the training of young people so they can embrace its positive aspects.
“Digital literacy must be funded and facilitated by the state to enable all to engage with AI, and an AI educational fund should be established to resource schools to roll out AI programmes,” he suggested.
He commended the government for steps taken to integrate private schools into the Free Senior High School policy but urged it to do more to support the growth of private schools across the country.
Professor Hugh Aryee, Ambassador of the Vanuatu Trade Commission to Ghana, indicated that Africa missed out on the first, second, and third industrial revolutions; however, the fourth industrial revolution, driven by AI, offered enormous opportunities that the continent could not afford to miss.
He said AI presented vast opportunities for Ghana to transform not only its education sector but also the wider economy, and urged the government to take urgent steps to integrate AI across all sectors.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, commended private schools for their critical role in supporting government to deliver quality education to Ghanaian children.
He bemoaned the erosion of the moral fabric of the country and urged managers of GNAPS to help reverse the trend by moulding the youth to imbibe values of truth, honesty, and patriotism to help build the nation.
Mr Donatus Atanga Akamugri, the Upper East Regional Minister, noted that the government viewed the private sector as a partner in transforming education and called for strengthened collaboration to enhance teaching and learning.
Tongraan Kugbilsong Nalebetang, Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, urged private schools to integrate scholarship schemes for brilliant but needy students into their admission processes to help provide opportunities for less privileged children.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Christian Akorlie