Over 100 pupils share one computer at Dokrochiwa Methodist School

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a very crucial element in the 21 century Education of children but ironically many Public basic Schools do not have access to the ICT facilities in their schools despite the subject being examinable in the Basic Education Certificate Examination in Ghana.

Dokrochiwa D/A Methodists Junior High School near Coaltar in the Eastern Region is one such schools struggling to teach ICT, a subject which requires more practices.

Dokrochiwa Methodist JHS School has only one malfunctioning Computer with a few ICT text books serving about 100 pupils. It is therefore not surprising that performance in ICT keeps declining.

For instance only 3.08% of BECE candidates from the School passed ICT subject in 2017, a decline from 16.67% in 2016.

Some candidates who will be writing this year’s BECE told Starr News they are ill prepared in the subject therefore may leave most questions unanswered .

The Headmaster of Dokrochiwa Methodists JHS, Banini Kwao told Starr News’ Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah that the situation is affecting the teaching of ICT subject.

“We have only two computers which one got spoilt and a school of population almost 100 using only one computer is a serious problem. But we are hoping may be one day someone will come to our aid, we wrote several applications some to GIFEC, some to the district Assembly, some to other NGOs like Vodafone, MTN, Tigo, Airtel. We went to all these companies but anytime we go for their support they only tell us we should wait and that they will come to our aid but up till now and we are still using only one computer which is having an effect on us because imaging the number that we have, 100 children managing only one computer to do ICT practicals”.

The Headmaster added “during ICT practicals, you see a class of 36 -38 with only one computer and everyone want to touch and have access to it so what we normally do is that we put the children in groups so that at least they will be able to touch the computer and at least have a feel of it”.

Dokrochiwa Methodist School built in 1966 by the Methodist Church has not received any significant support from government.

The school had to periodically levy parents to run the School. A classroom block being put up by the PTA to mitigate congestion in classrooms has stalled due to lack of funds.

Kofi Agyapong – PTA Chairman is worried government has shirked responsibility for the school.

“Since the establishment of the school, we have not received any help from government. The only help we received is 20 bags of cement from the MP and if that constitute support from government that’s fine, so what we do is that we the PTA has been contributing financially to support the running of the school but you know we are peasant farmers, we don’t have money."