Learning Support Solutions (LSS) is a non-governmental organization set up by Ghanaians to work on current challenges in Ghanaian education through the use of information communication technology, in line with the Government of Ghana’s ICT in Education policy. This will involve providing ICT support to government-assisted schools in selected districts in the form of equipment, training for teacher
s and also, training for students in schools in low income areas. These are the initial outcomes we aim to achieve. We believe that an efficient knowledge of the use of ICT equipment and tools will change what is often memory-based learning, towards thinking and creativity in the classroom. We also see this as a way to empower teachers and children to learn out of the classroom, in ways that will support teacher development and pupil learning. But most of all, we see this as a way of assisting the country as it develops, as a way of providing skills which will benefit manpower development. Our current work with schools is part of a pilot – we hope to expand our activities to other parts of the country. What is the current situation with regard to ICT learning in government schools in Ghana? Students follow courses in ICT without actually using computers. This means that the courses are theoretical rather than practical. However in our training of students in Class Six, for example, we find that there is great interest in knowing exactly how computers work, how the World Wide Web was started, how they can use the internet to help with their schoolwork, and make sense of the world. So we need lots of help. We need more equipment, and volunteers, as well, especially as adolescents left on their own to use the internet sometimes need to be ‘guided’. We are currently working with six schools, 91 teachers and just over 2,500 students in primary and junior secondary schools. We aim to focus on Year Six (Primary Six_ and Junior Secondary Schools in our basic training on the use of computers for various needs and kinds of work. The Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service are aware of and approve of our work, as it falls within Ghana’s ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) policy, which is currently at various stages of implementation. This policy represents the vision of Ghana in the information age and addresses 14 priority focus areas or pillars, including that of “Promoting ICTs in education – the deployment and exploitation of ICTs in education”. We think it particularly important to assist pupils and students in low-income areas with this support.
