Teachers to be made computer literate

Kumasi, Aug. 17, GNA - All the 38 teacher-training colleges in the country are to be equipped with computers to make all teacher trainees computer literate.

The Dutch government is to supply about 150 computers for the computerisation of the training colleges.

Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports announced this at a three-day 10th annual national congress of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG) in Kumasi on Tuesday. The congress, which has as its theme: "Diversifying Education to Meet Current National Challenges: The Key to Accelerated and sustainable National Development", is being attended by 60 delegates from all teacher training colleges in the country.

In an address read on her behalf, the Deputy Minister said the theme was very apt since it was within the vision of the government on education and development in general.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah said there were challenges confronting the country and that at a glance poverty could easily be identified, while there was the need to develop a sound human resource base and create job opportunities.

"We cannot turn a blind eye to the undisciplined acts that we notice in Ghana today. Environmental pollution and degradation is a threat to our survival".

It is the realisation of these, she said that urged government to give priority attention to the promotion of education. Mrs Baiden-Amissah told them that as teachers, they had a commitment and responsibility in a diversified educational system if it was to succeed.

She, however, expressed regret that there was some category of teachers who refused postings and said it was disappointing when teachers refused to go on postings but spent all their time lobbying with the hope of getting schools in the big towns and cities. The Deputy Minister said children should not be disadvantaged because of their geographical location and said newspaper stories on such issues were demoralising and disappointing to parents, students and the government.

Mr John Ahiaokor, National President of TTAG, appealed to the government to evolve a lasting and permanent solution to the problem of study leave for teachers to ease the use of ad hoc measures.