E-Learning Will Help Educate The Children In Ghana

Using computers and the Internet to educate children in Ghana will be beneficial as it will bridges the gap between the children in developing  and less developed countries. Please read on...

Children Are The Source Of Future Wealth Of A Country.

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Irvin Toffler

All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.

Aristotle

Recent indications are that Ghana is falling behind in its Internet usage compared to other African countries. The new medium, the Internet is like the compass that the early explorers used to conquer the new world. Those who did not have that technology fell behind. It is therefore imperative that the government of Ghana makes Internet available to all the schools if it wants to build the bridge of education to help fuel the development of Ghana.

It is gratifying to know that Ghana has signed on to the e School project from Intel. What good is this important project if the children have no access to the Internet? I realize that the schools without Internet would be supplied with CD's or DVD's filled with local educational contents to help bridge the gap between those with the Internet technology and those without. It looks like the Ghana government knows the importance of this project since it is planning on developing local contents for the Intel site.

"The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men."

Bill Beatie

The Internet Is As Important To Ghana And Afirca's Future As Food And Water".

That the Internet is important for the development of Ghana and for that matter Africa cannot be denied. It is therefore gratifying to know that Professor Nii Quaynor at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana is a champion of this concept. These are some of the highlights of his interview with the New Scientist.

• Though Africa needs food and other resources, it cannot survive without
  affordable computing. This computing power will help with the development
  of many sectors of the economy such as agriculture and water supply.
• Like education, the digital economy dictates that the computing knowledge
  should be the right of every student.
• Though only 5% of sub-Saharan Africans have access to the Internet, Professor
  Nii Quaynor hopes that with the help of cell phones and other low cost
  interfaces like the $100 laptops and cybercafes the target of 95% usage of
  Internet could be achieved earlier.

Those of us who are interested in this issue are grateful for Professor Quaynor's work. We need more like-minded scientists to form a critical mass to move this Internet revolution off the ground. The governments of Africa have to be leaders in this endeavor. The aim is to provide the schools with the Internet Communication Technology.



Reference: New Scientist. 9 August 20008

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The one laptop for a child that started with the linux software has now added Windows XP to its operating system. This is a good move as many people are used to the Windows platform.

African Education Initiative Texbook Program

The first Lady, Laura Bush launched the African Initiative Textbook Program in Ghana during the President's visit to Ghana.

Truant Ghanaian Children in London Shipped Home for Parochial Ghanaian Education

Every parent wants his children to do well. Many children of migrant Ghanaians in London fall into the wrong groups and don't take their education serious. This article is refreshing since the kids sent to Ghana by their parents seem to appreciate their parents' efforts to give them a solid foundation for their future.

Oberlin College Donates Computers To Educate Ghanaian Children.

‘All the gold in the world has no significance. That which is lasting are the
thoughtful acts which we do for our fellow man.’

Adolfo Prieto

In order to stimulate some of the children of the Central Region of Ghana to take education seriously, we should expose them to what education can do for them. The internet is a powerful media through which these children can learn what other children in the world are learning and talking about. When they can communicate with other children and discuss issues with them, it would be easier for some of these truant children to take their education seriously. The benefits from access to the internet are more than talking to other kids. Education is its major benefit. We will fail these children if we don’t use any means at our disposal to make it easier and more attractive for them to want to read a book and stay in school.

It is with the above thought in mind that I have been talking about this project with everyone I meet. Luckily for me I discussed this idea with Cynthia Murnan, the Director of Client Services at the Irvin E. Houck Center for Information Technology at the Oberlin College. Cynthia saw my vision and bought into the idea. She has donated six McIntosh computers to start the project in Ghana.

I am grateful to Ms. Murnan and the Oberlin College for this generous contribution which will bring tears of joy to the faces of these poor Ghanaian children. I am hoping that other readers who are are able to help can contact us and join this effort to help these children. Computers and books for the school library are welcome.