The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has disclosed groundbreaking plans to establish the Ghana Virtual High School, an innovative initiative aimed at providing the country’s youth with the opportunity to enroll in and complete their High School education online.
Speaking at the 2nd National Distance Learning Conference held in Accra, Dr. Adutwum emphasised the significance of digital learning as a transformative strategy for reshaping Africa’s educational landscape.
The event was organised by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS), in partnership with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and World Bank Group.
It was on the theme “Reimagining Education: A Call on Multi-Stakeholder Coordination and Action for Equitable Access to Digital and Distance Learning in Africa.”
Dr Adutwum said the normal high schools would also use instructions and resources from the Virtual High School to improve teaching and learning in their schools.
Can-do-spirit
The Education Minister urged African leaders to stop lamenting about their situation, but rather develop a can-do spirit to take advantage of technology to improve their respective countries.
Dr Adutwum further expressed confidence in the ability of the African child, adding that, when given the opportunity, the African child would blossom beyond expectation. He said the government aims at doubling science enrolment in Ghana next year, using digital technology.
The Education Minister said the Ghanaian government is committed to doubling science enrollment in the country next year, utilizing the power of digital technology to achieve this goal. He acknowledged the pivotal role that CENDLOS plays in championing digital and distance learning in Ghana, commending their dedication to advancing education through innovative means.
He said the Ghana Virtual High School is poised to not only offer online high school education, but also provide instructional resources that conventional high schools can adopt to enhance their teaching methodologies. This move, he stressed, is anticipated to drive significant improvements in teaching and learning across the educational spectrum.
For his part, the Executive Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gvamfi Adwabour, said the conference’s theme called for inclusive dialogue and work amongst stakeholders to prevent duplication and redundancy in the education sector.
He said the maiden conference yielded fruitful results, key amongst them being the development of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy.
Connectivity
The Executive Director said connectivity is one of the problems hampering the running of digital and distance learning, and called on telecommunication companies and other stakeholders to provide support.
Dr Eric Nansah, the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), said integrating ICT into education improves learning outcomes and the overall education system. He said distance learning has also become a lifeline to many, ensuring that education prevails despite dire circumstances.
“Teachers are able to engage with learners irrespective of distance and get access to training opportunities to improve upon themselves. ICT also improves teacher-parent relationship and parents are able to monitor their wards’ learning progress,” he stated.
CENDLOS regulates, controls and advises on online education and open schooling. It makes learning accessible, flexible and affordable to all, using modern, cutting-edge technology in open, distance and electronic learning.
It seeks to increase access to education for all and blend the current educational system with innovative ICT solutions and to ensure quality education at all levels.
It also uses audio-visual lessons as supplementary and complementary teaching and learning materials at the pre-tertiary level.
