Pursue a comprehensive EDTECH policy in our schools in 2021

The Institute of Education Studies (IFEST) wishes to extend its warm seasonal greetings to the people of Ghana and especially those in the education sector. We can testify that 2020 has been a difficult year for all of us especially those in the education sector due to the advent of Covid-19. The impact of this pandemic on the education sector is enormous.

Globally, it has been estimated by the world bank in their 2020 year in review that, the effect of Covid-19 on education could be felt for decades to come. They reiterate the fact that the impact transcends learning loss which is a short-term issue to a more long-term issue of diminishing economic opportunities. Being part of a region (Sub-Saharan Africa) with a low learning proficiency, managers of our educational system should be occupied with thinking through concrete measures to minimise the effects in the coming year.

IFEST, believes that, the huge investments in the education sector should reflect in our overall economic growth of the country, therefore, immediate measures should be taken to mitigate the impact of this pandemic on our education.

In Ghana, an estimated ten million students had to stay home due to the pandemic. The Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service within that short period was able to roll out online and virtual teaching platforms which were intended to ensure that there is continuity in learning. Although well-intended, the interim measures have exposed the inadequacies in our educational system in terms of integrating technology in the teaching and learning process. It also revealed the discrepancies in the training of our teachers in equipping them to use 21st century ICT tools in their teaching and learning.

For us, there has been a widening of the gap of inequality leaving the marginalised and the less privileged lagging while the well to do were able to access some of these platforms and hence had some form of continuity in their education.

Below is the full press statement from IFEST