Day: December 10, 2023

The Rotary Clubs of Cape Coast, Ghana and Ann Arbor in Michigan, USA, have handed over a refurbished ICT laboratory to the Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind to enhance the quality of their education.

The fully air-conditioned 18-computer laboratory with a projector is intended to develop the skills and competencies of the children in ICT, facilitate their learning and infuse ICT into education management.

Prior to the refurbishment, ICT teachers used their personal laptops to teach the pupils and went through the tedious and time-consuming process of calling them one after the other for demonstrations.

With the new computers, teaching and learning would be faster and more content would be covered.

The project, facilitated by the Central Alumni Foundation (CAF) was executed in collaboration with old students of Wesley Girls High School and St Augustine’s College, Blueskies, Coastal TV, and STAR Ghana Foundation, among other stakeholders to mark the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilitie
s.

This year’s celebration was on the theme: ‘United in Action to Rescue and Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for, with and by Persons with Disabilities.’

As part of the celebration, the school also held a ‘career day’ to expose the children to various career paths available to them and to encourage them to grow and become worthy citizens.

Both the deaf and blind pupils performed a thrilling drama, which saw them play various roles such as lawyer, teacher, doctor, nurse, police, judge, and court clerk, to demonstrate their capabilities.

Madam Lawrencia Entsuah, the Rotarian President for Cape Coast-Central, was optimistic that the ICT centre would help to transform the teachers’ development and the education of the children through technology-based training.

She said ICT would enhance access to education and improve the quality of education delivery on an equitable basis.

She, therefore, called for a continuous integration of ICT in teaching and learning activities to improve the learnin
g outcomes of the students.

‘A world without ICT is a world without any information,’ she said.

‘Let’s work together for a world of opportunity and dignity for all, a future of inclusion, one in which we all gain by leaving no one behind. Disability is not inability,’ she said.

Rev Dr Ebenezer Konduah, the School Management Committee Chairman, motivated the pupils to aspire to be whatever they wished to be, insisting that they could make it big irrespective of their conditions.

He urged them not to be limited by their disabilities, maintaining that disability was no longer an excuse to fail in life given the advancement of the world today.

Rev Dr Konduah said they could become marketing professionals, Human Resource Managers, business owners, actors, chefs, agriculture workers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, counsellors, psychologists, writers, journalists, scientists, artists, engineers, and stenographers, among other professions.

‘You can even teach sign language and nowadays they are in high demand. The l
anguage is a very great skill, which is demanded in the hospitals, courts, and other places,’ he said.

‘So, decide what you want to be today and pursue it with determination because what you do today will determine your future and don’t live your life anyhow,’ he noted.

Rev Dr Konduah urged them to focus on their studies as their parents were educating them because they believed in them.

‘Don’t let people deceive and discourage you because even those with sight and hearing have their own challenges in life,’ he added.

Mr Abraham Annang Yemoson, the Headmaster of the School, expressed gratitude for the ICT centre and the support they had received from various stakeholders.

He assured that the school would take maximum care of the facility to serve its purpose for the longest time possible.

‘Without the support of all of you, we could not have come this far because government cannot do it alone,’ he indicated.

With a population of more than 450 pupils, he said the school was faced with road, water, and e
lectricity challenges and appealed to the Government and the benevolent public for support.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Samuel Twumasi-Ankrah, President of Heritage Christian College has urged students to portray good morals and have a spiritual foundation to be successful.

He said adherence to moral and spiritual principles formed the foundation of their character and had a positive impact and endurance on both their personal and professional endeavors.

Dr Ankrah made the call at the 5th graduation ceremony of the University at Amasaman, Accra.

‘As you step into the next chapter of your lives, remember that success built on a solid moral and spiritual foundation is enduring,’ he said.

He said: ‘your conviction in God’s truths and commitment to moral and spiritual principles will serve as a compass, guiding you in making ethical decisions.’

‘Upholding integrity and honesty in all your pursuits will not only lead to personal success but also contribute to the betterment of the community and society’, he added.

The President charged students to be resilient in God and rely on spiritual guidance for strength as they fac
e the world in these difficult times.

‘In times of adversity, let your faith be the anchor that steadies you, enabling you to face challenges with courage, hope, and perseverance,’ he said.

He encouraged students to build meaningful relations to be successful and be impactful to others, indicating that networking had become the new tool in securing a better career and exposure to opportunities.

He advised students to strive to leave a legacy of purpose, where their achievements align with the greater good and the glory of God.

‘Let your success be a testament to the transformative power of faith and adherence to moral and spiritual principles’ he added.

Meanwhile, 66 students met the requirements for the award of bachelor’s degree in various accredited programmes offered by the University.

He said the University had been granted by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission for the running of the following Masters and Bachelor Degree programmes: MSc. Human Resource Management, MSc. Accounting and Taxation,
MSc. Accounting and Finance, BSc. Nursing, BSc. Information Security and, BSc. Accounting with Computing, BBA Entrepreneurship and Technology, and BBA Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

He said the University had introduced a Scholarship Endowment Fund aimed at supporting brilliant but needy students and they had completed the construction of the Fair Learning Commons and the Fair CEPE Building.

‘These facilities stand as a testament of our commitment to providing an enhanced and conducive environment for teaching, learning and administration,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Centre for Education, Innovation and Development (CEIB), has awarded winners in the High School Poetry Competition in Accra.

In all, three winners and their runners-up were awarded in three categories.

Princess Hanna Lomotey, from the Wesley Grammar Senior High School (SHS), won the Environment Category with Elisabeth Frimpong from Accra High SHS and Agyarewaa Mensah-Bonsu, from Accra Girls SHS winning second and third places respectively.

For the Gender category, Danielle-Marie Acquah-Allotey, from Brainy Brain School, emerged as the winner whilst Danielle Owusu Afari from Accra Girls SHS and Oliver Osei Owusu placed second and third respectively.

King David Quaye, a student of Accra Academy SHS, won the Corruption Category while Anne-Marie Baiden from Accra Girls SHS and Reginald Ankrah from Wesley Grammar SHS placed second and third respectively.

For their prizes, the overall winners in each category received a laptop and a certificate whilst the second runners-up received a Samsung Galaxy Tablet
and certificate each and the third place, GHC 1000 and certificate each.

The Accra Academy SHS received a certificate for winning the School with the Highest Number of Contestants.

Wesley Grammar SHS also received a certificate for being the Overall Best Contestant School.

Ms Selina Torrison Saaka, Country Lead, CEIB, said the primary objective of the competition was to promote and celebrate the literary talents of SHS students while fostering a culture of critical thinking and creativity among the youth.

She said the competition aligned with the objectives outlined in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018-2030) for Ghana, which emphasised the improvement of teaching and learning quality across all educational levels and the development of competency-based skills.

‘As we strive to reorient our learners and education stakeholders towards achieving these objectives, we recognise the vital role that media plays in facilitating this process,’ the Country Lead stated.

Ms Saaka said despite the significance
of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, communication and language development played a crucial role in reducing poverty and expanding lifelong learning opportunities.

She said it ensured a well-rounded education for students.

Mr Stephen Abamfo, Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, said the three genres of literature, Prose, Poetry and Drama highlighted culture.

He noted that Poetry in particular tried to correct some ills and praised good deeds in society.

‘We, the Educational Directorate so far as Greater Accra is concerned, is going to support the system, I’m going to support it in a way that next year it is going to spread throughout the whole region and all schools will come on board,’ Mr Abamfo stated.

Mrs Beauty Nartey, Country Director of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), said corruption, which had a cross-cutting effect on all aspects of life, was a societal scourge hindering progress and undermining justice.

‘When the Country Lead informed me that
most of the contestants were focused on corruption, I was so impressed because it means that our youth are paying attention to Ghana’s problems and are interested in helping address them,’ she said

Mrs Nartey said the voices of the poets possessed the transformative power to effect change by making their poetry not just an artistic expression but the catalyst for societal transformation.

The Country Director said citizens must recognise the pivotal role of education in nurturing ethical leadership and social responsibility.

‘GACC is committed to fostering partnerships with educational institutions and organisations like CEID to empower our youth, instilling in them values of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct,’ she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency