Narkwa School Gets Internet Communication Center.

That the Internet is important for educating children cannot be overemphasized. On these pages, I have been advocating the use of the Internet to bridge the educational gap between the developed world and the less developed world, particularly in Ghana. In the Central Region of Ghana, many of the primary and middle school children drop out of school. Why should they go to school when most of their parents are not formally educated and school is not challenging.

I have the notion that if the children have Internet access they may be able to use the Internet to enrich their learning experience. Additionally, they may meet other children on line with whom they would share ideas. This way, they may be motivated to stay in school. It is with this in mind that in August, 2008, I presented a projector for movies, a laptop and an Apple desktop computer to the school. After about four hours at the One Touch Telecommunication Center in Cape Coast, Ghana, I was able to obtain an Internet modem.

The setup at the school was a challenge as the electric power went off. Fortunately, after several hours, the electric power came on. The Internet connection finally worked. My hope is that the students would be able to use the online e-skool from Intel that has been adopted by the Ghana Government to enhance their education and motivate them to stay in school. I believe that in a year's time, because of the interest in the computer and the Internet access, their school attendance will improve so we can write a grant to get more resources for the school, the district and ultimately the region.

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

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Can Help Educate Children in Ghana

When children go to school hungry, what is going to motivate them stay in school? This is the dilemma facing many Ghanaian parents, especially in the villages. In a village that may not have role models of successful educated citizens, the children and their illiterate parents may not place premium on education. All they see are their friends who dropped out of school and are farmers, fishermen or laborers.

These children need to have a compelling reason to stay in school. In many cases, the parent may not be able to give them enough reasons for them to continue their studies, as they themselves had no formal education. The Ghana Government with the help of the World Bank has recognized the importance of education to fuel its economy. The introduction of ICT's in the villages will help educate the children about what is possible for them if they stay in school. Apart from the educational value of these Information and Communications and Technology centers, the children who are usually fast learners would be able to embrace the technology and connect with other kids in Ghana and all over the world. This way, they can expand their horizon and realize the benefit of education.

It is therefore imperative that these centers be part of every school. The investment in these technologies will be beneficial to the country by producing educated work force to fuel the country's economy. Without these investments in the children, they will always be "hewers of wood and drawers of water," a situation that would not be suitable for the rapidly growing world economy with its complexities.

One example of this ICT is the one village foundation in Winneba. Imagine duplicating this in every village in Ghana. The whole world would be open to the children so they can be motivated to stick with their course work and grow up to be productive citizens to improve their lot and contribute to the socioeconomic development of Ghana.