As part of its Education Innovation Labs (EDNOLABS) initiative, TECHAiDE Global has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its partners to facilitate easy access to digital educational resources for students and teachers in underserved communities across the country.
The partners involved in this initiative include the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES), CAMFED, IMPLEMENTERS, UNICEF, Helping Africa Foundation, Mest Africa, and CENDLOS.
According to Makafui A. Prebbie, CEO of TECHAiDE, the signing of the MoU represents a significant step forward in their mission to enhance education through innovative technological solutions via ASANKA and EDUlab in the targeted communities.
Challenges in Digital Learning
The Ministry of Education’s Basic Education Rapid Risk Assessment conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that 66 percent of schoolchildren in Ghana struggle to access digital learning due to connectivity issues.
Speaking at the signing ceremony for the MoU in Accra, Mr. Prebbie highlighted that the project’s goals include conducting evidence-based research to improve education in the country, with a target of reaching over 10,000 students and training more than 1,900 teachers. Additionally, the initiative plans to establish 20 modern education labs equipped with offline ASANKA technology across 12 regions, creating innovative learning environments.
Selected Schools
Mr. Prebbie mentioned that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the University of Ghana Legon, CAMFED, and IMPLEMENTERS, TECHAiDE has identified 20 lab sites that will serve 205 schools across 64 communities.
He explained that the selected schools have been divided into four cohorts for the first phase of the project: three schools from the Accra cohort, 10 from the Gomoa cohort, 109 from the Bogoso cohort, and 85 from the Kyebi cohort.
The TECHAiDE CEO added that the EDNOLABS project aims to set up 20 innovation labs in primary and junior high schools nationwide over three years, validating and testing the functionalities of the ASANKA and EDUlabs for the benefit of over 10,000 students.
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Mr Prebbie said at least 1,900 teachers would receive training and support to integrate technology into their teaching practices.
“There is no access to digital content in a lot of schools and it is because of the high internet cost. We are providing access to digital content without the use of the internet,” he explained.
Improving Educational Outcomes
In a PowerPoint presentation, Dr. Faiza Omar, Lead Research Officer at TECHAiDE, shared that the EDNOLABS project aims to enhance educational outcomes by improving student performance in ICT, Science, English, and Mathematics, as indicated by standardized test scores and classroom assessments.
She explained that the project will also increase access to educational resources for both teachers and students through the use of ASANKA and EDUlab tools. Additionally, it seeks to strengthen teacher capacity via the TECHAiDE Certified Trainers Network (TCTN) and promote data-driven decision-making by encouraging school administrators to utilize analytics from ASANKA. Ultimately, the initiative aims to attract more students to these learning environments.
The National Director of CAMFED, Hajia Fairuza Abdul-Rashid, emphasized that her organization is collaborating with TECHAiDE to ensure that marginalized girls and communities in rural Ghana gain access to technology, just like their male counterparts.
“Technology should not be exclusive to males pursuing tech education or careers; they also need access to explore options in this field,” she stated.
Dr. Eric Nkansah, Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), represented by Fakor Disum, Head of Schools and Instruction Division, praised TECHAiDE for their visionary leadership in advancing technology education.
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