One student one tablet initiative a transformational agenda – Free SHS coordinator

The Upper West Regional Coordinator of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Programme, Yussif Moomen, has said the government's 'One-Student, One-Tablet' initiative under the Ghana Smart Schools Project (GSSP) is transformational and capable of revolutionizing education in the country.

He said the provision of tablets to senior high school (SHS) students would provide them access to educational resources and limitless opportunities to explore digital and online learning materials.

Mr. Moomen said this on the sidelines of the national launch of the Ghana Smart Schools Project (GSSP) in Accra by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which was video premiered at Wa Senior High School.

He noted that the era where students had to solely depend on textbooks or rely on people for information would be over as students could freely access the internet for information.

"With the tablets, students will be able to overcome their learning challenges in terms of access to learning materials, which will enrich their learning experiences and improve their academic achievements," he said.

He added that the GSSP and the tablets would also help teachers in the smooth execution of their teaching and learning activities for the maximum benefit of learners.

He allayed fears that students might misuse the tablets, as he noted that mechanisms are put in place to flag access to inappropriate and unauthorized websites.

The Headmaster of Wa Senior High School, Adams Iddrisu Thirdman, said the GSSP was a dream come true as it was timely when the world had jumped into an era of digitalization and innovation.

"This Ghana Smart Schools Project will enable students, at least, to reduce the load of carrying heavy books, especially science students and other programmes

"The herculean task of teachers always giving notes will be a thing of the past. We only need to give some supplementary notes to enable these students to, at least, go through whatever details they want on their tablets," he said.

He, however, noted with concern how students were going to be able to charge the tablets, as mobile phones are not allowed in schools.

Mohammed Salman, the General Prefect of Wa Senior High School, indicated that the provision of the tablets would aid him in his studies and research.

"It will help me a lot in my research because when I study, at some point, the book doesn't go much into the details, so the understanding of the concepts is always vague.

"But with the inception of these tablets, it will help greatly because there are a lot of books, materials, and videos of different people that one can access at any time," he said.

The Ghana Smart Schools Project (GSSP) is an extension of the free Senior High School (FSHS) program, which is being digitalized to empower Ghanaian students to learn the smart way with limitless boundaries.