Nortsu-Kotoe demands a funding source for the 1 student, 1 tablet initiative.
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, a member of Parliament’s Education Committee, is skeptical of the government’s plan to distribute free electronic tablets to senior high school students across the country.
Mr. Kortsu-Kotoe expressed surprise that the government has such plans in the midst of more troubling challenges confronting the country’s education delivery.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced the intention to distribute tablets to schools on January 17 during a speech at this year’s New Year School at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe acknowledged that, while there is a need to technologically develop education and its delivery in the country, the time to do so, particularly with the distribution of electronic tablets, was a misplaced priority at the moment.
“There is a need to develop our education technologically, but we need to take one step at a time. The Vice President has a good idea, but it is not the right time.” Said Nortsu-Kotoe
He emphasized that previous indications from the government’s intentions to supply electronic gadgets leave one skeptical.
The Akatsi North legislator also wondered where the government would get the funds to carry out the policy because the initiative was not included in the 2023 budget.
“There is no provision in the 2023 budget for the procurement of tablets for senior high schools, and I know they will push that one to GETFund, but GETFund is so overburdened that it cannot meet all of the demands required of it because GETFund received only 39 percent of the approved allocation in 2022, and it will be worse this year.”
“The projected revenue for GETFund was GH4.6 billion, but we are only going to receive about 40% of that, which is GH1.8 billion, so how are they going to meet all of these expenditures in the educational sector?”
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