Gov’t to give ICT Education a major boost -Mr Woyongo

07-09-2011
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo has renewed governments determination to give ICT education a major boost to help accelerate the development process in the country. In view of this, government plans to connect all deprived Junior and Senior High Schools to the national electricity grid and also ensure that more schools are provided with computers and other teaching aids to facilitate the teaching and learning of ICT in the country. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo announced this at the opening of the 2011 Regional Girls Education Camp currently underway at Bolgatanga on the theme: “Empowering Girls through Education: The Role of ICT”. About 150 students drawn from the various districts across the region are attending the week long programme, spearheaded by the Girls Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service with support from Action Aid, Ghana, an NGO. Mr Woyongo commended the organizers for instituting the girl’s camp meeting since it is meant to empower girls from deprived communities to develop greater interest in schooling, build their self esteem and aspire to higher levels in life . He said government is committed to placing the youth especially, girls at the core of its policy initiatives and is therefore putting in place pragmatic policies to see to their welfare. By that, government hopes to invest in the youth through the creation of sustainable opportunities that would be beneficial to them and fill them with a sense of belonging. . He said government in its quest to adopt an ICT -led economy would ensure that students are made to acquire knowledge in ICT to enable the nation maintain its position in the middle income group. Subsequently, every community would be made to benefits from the growing communication revolution with a target of training most SHS graduates in ICT application, particularly in mobile telephony, so that they can in turn train other people in their communities on ICT. Mr Woyongo, therefore implored the youth to embrace ICT and desist from negative practices that goes along with its operation. The acting Regional Girl Child Officer, Mrs Rose Akanson stressed the importance of giving the girl child equal opportunities as that of boys since they are capable of changing the fortunes of the country’s economy through education. She said the era where women were confined to the kitchen at the expense of education is a thing of the past and that women are gradually assuming their rightful positions in society. Mrs Akanson however called on Ghanaians to prioritize the education of their wards particularly the girl child so that they can aspire to the top. She commended Action aid Ghana for the support over the years and urged other NGOs to take up the challenge of ensuring the welfare of girls in the region. The Programmes Manager of Action Aid,Ghana, Mr James Kusi Boama implore policy makers to redefine their commitment in making the education of the girl child their outmost priority. He called on others to partner government in that direction.
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