Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia presenting laptop to a teacher
The Ghana Education Service (GES) says government has absorbed Gh¢1,282.30 representing 70 percent of the cost of the Teacher Mate 1(TM1) laptops being distributed to teachers under the One Teacher One Laptop initiative.
Per the computation, the teacher only pays about Gh¢549.44. as 30 percent of the total cost of the laptop. The total cost of the TM1 laptop per one, according to the GES is Gh¢1,831.47.
This was contained in a statement by the Ghana Education Service(GES) signed by the Head of Public Relations, Cassandra Twum Ampofo.
A group of teachers calling themselves Innovative Teachers and All Teachers Alliance Ghana, has dragged the Education Ministry before CHRAJ over the procurement of laptops under the ‘1 teacher 1 laptop’ policy.
According to the group, they suspect the cost of the laptops have been inflated.
“The cost of each laptop is purported to be GH¢1,550, and we suspect that this amount is inflated. A thorough investigation into procurement will vindicate our position.
The highest price for this TMI laptop in our estimation, must not be more than GH¢600 given the specifications of this laptop and a colossal number of 280,000 laptops”, the petition reads.
It further added: “it is trite knowledge that manufacturing electronic gadgets in large quantities makes the price per item very low.
“One wonders why private businessmen procuring thousands of electronic gadgets from the same companies abroad get huge discounts, but when it comes to the use of taxpayers’ money to procure same electronic gadgets, the story is the direct opposite.”
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia launched the initiative to distribute laptops to all teachers in public schools in the country to help improve the quality of education.
Meanwhile, the GES in its statement said it has commenced the distribution of the Teacher Mate 1 (TM1) laptops.
“Distribution of the TM1 has commenced and all teachers at the St. Mary’s Girls SHS have received theirs”, the statement said.
It said, “the supply of the Teacher Mate 1 laptops was an initiative of the Teacher Unions (GNAT NAGRAT, CCT) to procure for all teachers at the pre-tertiary level to enhance the delivery of quality education in terms of planning, research, teaching and reporting”.
The portion of the cost to be borne by teachers, according to the GES will be deducted from the Continuous Professional Development Allowance(CPD) when paid. This will be a one-off deduction.