The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Madam Philipa Larson has called on teachers to accept the offer of the government to provide laptops to teachers to improve teaching and learning in the pre-tertiary institutions.
According to her, the laptops will not only improve their work but will become their individual properties.
It could be recalled that President Akufo-Addo announced in his State of the Nation Address that the government of Ghana was going to offer 280,000 TM1 laptops to teachers but with a share cost. Teachers will have to pay 30% of the cost of the laptops while the government takes care of 70% cost.
However, some teachers who were not happy with the cost-sharing arrangement with the government took to the various portals to demand explanations.
But speaking on ‘Daybreak Upper East’ on A1 Radio, Madam Philipa Larson noted that the cost-sharing arrangement with the government became necessary because the laptops when distributed to individual teachers, become the teachers’ properties.
“So, we felt that because of this pandemic and its related issues, the era for us to enter into the digital platforms, the need for laptops for teachers became crucial for teaching and learning. We felt that there was a need for teachers to have their laptops to make their work more efficient. But the issue is that we negotiated with the government and that was the support that government was giving.” She said.
She stressed that the 70% that the government will be paying came with the explanation that “…the laptop becomes your laptop. So, even if you want to leave the education sector completely and joined another sector, you should be able to move with your laptop. That laptop becomes your individual property as you have paid the 30%.”
Meanwhile, reports have it that the TM1 laptops would be of the same quality as the ‘RLG’ laptops, and will not have spare parts on the market to replace when any part needs replacement.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana
