Mobile Phone usage in schools to be reviewed – GES

Stakeholders in the education sector are considering reviewing the ban on mobile phone usage in schools.

Mrs Esther Jones Safo, Ga North Municipal Director of Education, who disclosed this in Accra on Thursday, said the review would be done so that mobile phones could be used strictly for academic purposes.

She said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the inauguration and swearing-in of Executive Members of the Ga North Municipality Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) at Pokuase in the Greater Accra Region.

The inauguration was on the theme: “Providing Quality Education amid COVID-19 Pandemic, the Role of the Head Teacher.”

COHBS seeks to bring together headteachers within the various directorates to share experiences, ideas, concerns and successes in the running of schools.

Mrs Safo entreated students to desist from visiting restricted websites on phones and computers and rather take advantage of the Ghana Education Learning programmes on various television channels.

She noted that in the era of COVID-19 headteachers must adopt strategies to help provide quality education.

“Headteachers play a major role in the school management system and they are expected to come up with efficient and cost-effective strategies to improve on teaching and learning,” Mrs Safo said.

“In these challenging times, headteachers are expected to explore various options for distance learning tools including online virtual lessons and downloadable lessons”.

She said currently, schools around the world were being encouraged to reduce the rate of contact teaching and resort to the remote learning system to curb the spread of the pandemic.

She, therefore, advised the headteachers to encourage their students to patronise radio and television programmes as well and appreciate distance learning.

Mrs Safo drew their attention to the launch of the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) by the Government in June, this year, which aimed at improving the quality of low performing basic schools and strengthening education sector accountability.

“The project would also employ the phased approach to accommodate the gradual rollout of the new curriculum by government, which would begin with early grade (KG to primary six),” she said.

It would be expanded to other levels of basic education as the new curriculum is rolled out.

“The learning interventions are expected to reach approximately 10,000 poorly performing public schools (KG, primary and Junior High Schools),” Mrs Safo said.

She entreated members of the Ga North COHBS to remain united to propel growth.

Nii Tettey Okpe II, Amamole Mantse and Chairman of the occasion urged members of the newly constituted Ga North COHBS to double up their efforts to catch up with their counterparts who were inaugurated some time ago and called for teamwork among teachers and headteachers.

Mr Edward Obeng Anim Pabi, COHBS Chairman for Ga North, explained that the Ga North Municipality was created in 2019 out of the Ga Central Municipality.

He said that resulted in headteachers not belonging to any of the groups, hence the need to mobilise them under one umbrella.

Mr Addo Nicholas Nii Kpakpoe, Greater Accra Regional Chairman, COHBS, urged members to set out and share their visions and missions with teachers to spur excellence in teaching and learning.

There were solidarity messages from the La Nkwantanang, Ga Central, and Weija/Gbawe COHBS.