By Albert Futukpor
Gbanyamli (N/R), April 5, GNA – An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre, has been established at Gbanyamli Methodist Primary and Junior High School in the Sagnarigu Municipality to prepare and equip pupils and students with skills to make them useful in the digital age.
The Centre has been stocked with some desktop computers, computer tables, long chairs, a projector, a router, two power stabilisers, six extension power cords and four ceiling fans.
It was provided by Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme with funding support from Children Believe, an international NGO, as part of efforts to help the children in the area catch up with the rest of the world in terms of digital technology.
Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme, and Children Believe, prior to providing the ICT materials for the school, undertook maintenance works on the school’s building to serve as the ICT Centre, which included masonry works, electrical works, carpentry works (ceiling the room) as well as painting.
Mr Joshua Sayibu, Programme Manager at Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme, speaking at a ceremony at the school’s premises to hand over the ICT materials and the centre to officials of the Ghana Education Service in the municipality, said the gesture was to ensure practical teaching of ICT in the school.
Mr Sayibu said the world had advanced in ICT, and children needed to catch up with the digital world hence the need to provide the necessary infrastructure, ICT materials such as computers, and accessible internet and training as well as empowering of teachers on ICT.
He emphasised that “We cannot as a people continue to do things in the rudimentary way as in the past. There is, therefore, the need to take immediate steps to promote our academic course in advancing ICT through our basic and second cycle institutions towards globalisation.”
Commenting on the facility, he said: “There are some few things yet to be done, which include curtains, floor carpet and internet, which I believe other stakeholders, will team up with the school to make them available for a complete modern ICT Centre. The room is a little bigger and can still accommodate about three more computers to aid in more children having access to the place during ICT classes.”
He called on authorities of the school to take proper care of the facility to serve the pupils and students for a long time.
Mr Samuel Oppong, Programme Manager at Children Believe, said the facility would help the children fit well in society in terms of soft skills in ICT.
Madam Ann Kurugu, Director of Finance and Administration, Sagnarigu Municipal Directorate of Education said she was grateful for the facility, adding that it would help to improve teaching and learning at the school.
Madam Emilia Asamoah, Headmistress of Gbanyamli Methodist School, commended Markaz-Al-Bishara Child Development Programme for its continued support to the school saying it had, over the years, undertaken various projects to improve the infrastructure of the school.
GNA