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Education Minister, Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang has said even though the country has significant progress in achieving access to education, quality, on the average remains a challenge. She has therefore advocated strategies and interventions including an increased effort at professional development of teachers to arrest the situation.

The minister was speaking at the launch of the second phase of the ICT Training programme for teachers in Accra. A total of thirty-one thousand basic and second cycle school teachers are expected to be offered competency training in ICT in general and teaching and learning programmes and applications over a three months period.

Overall, the programme seeks to introduce the ICT concept in schools to enable the pupils acquire the skills in usage to enhance teaching and learning. The knowledge gained from the training is also intended to help teachers overcome technology barriers, especially in teaching and learning.

The minister said the major objective of government’s education strategy is to increase access, improve equity as well as quality of education delivery remain on course and will not be compromised. “Technology will help in the integration of ICT in education and facilitate the teaching of subjects such as language, mathematics and science which still continue to be a challenge for students”, the minister emphasised.

The Director of ICT at the Ministry of Education, Mr Francis Avugbe said the introduction of ICT in education was necessary to transform knowledge impartation and acquisition strategies. A deputy director-general of the Ghana education service, Madam Elizabeth de-Souza urged beneficiary teachers to put knowledge acquired to good use. The head of Rlg Institute of Technology, Mr Kwaku Mensuoh said his outfit has engaged a team of knowledgeable ICT experts on Microsoft software to conduct the trainings.

“The issue of proximity has been addressed to avoid trainees having to travel long distances to the learning centres.” he added. There was a presentation of computers to some beneficiary teachers.