Editorial: Making computers more accessible

Many schoolchildren are still unable to access the computer. And this is the reality after many talks and programmes about how to make this important gadget available to schoolchildren because of its necessity in the modern world.

We can safely conclude that the efforts so far have not been effective in bringing computers to the doorsteps of the poor and underprivileged schoolchildren.

Computer laboratories now feature in many schools but these are limited to government public senior high schools. Indeed, in some of these learning facilities, students do not have that unfettered access to computers as to engender beneficial returns.

We think the recent launching of the first indigenous laptop assembling plant, rlg, in the country, if harnessed by the authorities, would go a long way in addressing the computer accessibility challenge in the country.

We have observed with keen interest the returns being recorded in the collaboration between the company, rlg, which now assembles computers locally, and the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP). The collaboration, whose origin is traceable to the Kufuor administration, has today led to the empowering of many a youth who would have otherwise been part of the many idle ones roaming the streets of the urban areas.

We are convinced beyond doubts that when such collaboration is struck between the computer assembling plant and the Ministry of Education or even the Ghana Education Service, it can go a long way in addressing the computer shortage.

Given the number of schools in the country, most of which are distressed especially in the rural areas, it can be imagined the challenges being encountered by such learning facilities. Computer accessibility in such places can only pass for a luxury too expensive for schoolchildren under trees.

With reliable electricity supply in short supply in the country, we think the best bet is to rely on an affordable and feasible line of supplying laptops to the remote parts of the country through a local assembling plant we can trust to deliver.

We are aware of the free laptop for kids programme but with the gadgets still out of the reach of schoolchildren, we think the rLG assembly plant now in place is a possibility that can be explored by the government.

The Vice President, John Mahama, was rightly the guest of honour at the launch of the project and his promise of supporting the private sector, we think, could provide the necessary impetus towards making the development of IT education at the elementary school level feasible, provided the right steps are taken sincerely and robustly.

For now, what we have on the ground is nothing but a PR gimmick. With the quality of education dropping in the country, any efforts towards propping it cannot be complete without IT education.

Source: Daily Guide/Ghana