Despite concerns by teacher unions about the government’s one-teacher, one laptop initiative, the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Adutwum has mounted a spirited defense for the policy.
Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, the Minister said the initiative had played a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of teachers.
He said those who had criticised the initiative were only seeking to score cheap political points.
“The President believes we are in the 21st century, so teachers should be able to use the state-of-the-art equipment and stop writing notes. The bottom line for me is that they [teachers] have been given a device that has the full complement of any device that you can find on the market in terms of speed, etc.”
“The most important thing to me is to look at what I will do with these devices. There are times when you hear genuine concerns, but there are times when you know somebody wants to score political points from something that was well thought through.”
The initiative has been described by some teacher unions as a poorly negotiated deal, while some have claimed that the laptops being distributed under the initiative are not fit for teaching.
A teacher group, known as the Innovative Teachers Alliance, has also expressed displeasure over the deduction of GH¢509 from the teachers’ professional development allowance for the payment of the initiative.
The Minister, however, disagreed with these suggestions, insisting that the laptops are efficient.
“We are in a country where everything is seen through the lens of politics. By the time you realise, something you knew was going to serve a good purpose can become an albatross on your neck. One thing I know is that the device is good.”
Mr. Adutwum also insisted that the initiative was effectively managed by his predecessor.
