SHS E-learning discriminatory as the Traditional Learning -Educationist

I have come to conclude that, the SHS E-learning is as discriminatory as the Traditional Learning, education in Ghana only favours the rich and those in the cities.

I will tell you why. Schools in the cities and big towns have sufficient teachers, enough classrooms, textbooks, libraries and laboratories, tables and chairs, learning materials and exposure and opportunities.

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On the other hand, the situation is different when you come to the villages and developing towns. One teacher handling the whole primary school, students learning under trees, students using cement blocks as tables and chairs, improvisation of stone as a computer mouse and other embarrassing things you can think of.

Meanwhile, they will all sit for the same examination and be judged using the same test items regardless of individual prevailing circumstances.

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Those who are fortunate to come from well to do homes, their parents help them by enrolling them in better schools, buying them textbooks and other relevant materials and also organize extra tuition for them while the other ones go to school and learn on empty stomach.

That’s just one side of the story. Let’s talk about SHS E-learning. The government has closed down schools in an attempt to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

In an attempt to keep students still learning, they have launched an e-learning platform called ICAMPUSGH. This is why it is as discriminatory as the latter.

1. Only those from well to do homes have access to smartphones and computers.

2. Data is expensive to buy and runs faster than Usain Bolt.

3. The interface of the website is not flexible to navigate by a novice.

4. Only those in towns and cities have access to quality cellular data. Tell me if this is not discriminatory enough.

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Consider the number of SHS students without smartphone and computer, the ones in villages without network, the ones that can’t afford to buy data and the ones that were taught using stones as a computer mouse.

Anyway, we are already in it and I don’t think we would be able to bridge the gap in a hurry but if we keep this in mind, we would eventually.

Since we can’t also wait for everyone to get what it takes before we kick start the online platform, In the meantime, let’s help our younger ones to access the platform and learn. Together we can.

I pray, hope and look forward to the day government and the Telcos would intervene in their capacity.

How can all benefit from SHS E-learning?

Source: Hon Jerry Akporhor

Educationist and Ag. secretary for educate Ghana Summit