Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
The Communication Director of the Bawumia Campaign Team of the ruling NPP, Dennis Miracles Aboagye has hinted that, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s vision on education is one to build Ghana and leverage on technology, data and systems for inclusive education.
Under the Presidency of the visionary Dr. Bawumia, God willing, in 2025, there will be an enhanced focus on TVET education.
Speaking at a press conference, he hinted that Dr. Bawumia when he becomes the President will support and facilitate the establishment of a National Open University Ghana in collaboration with the private sector and with a focus on technical, vocational skills and ICT.
According to him, “In preparing the Ghanaian Child for the 4th industrial revolution workplace, the NPP Presidential Candidate, Dr Bawumia will enhance the repositioning of the education system towards STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths), Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and vocational skills to cope with demands of the 4th Industrial Revolution and Job creation”.
He said in the light of the new path in IT, the Presidency of Dr. Bawumia, Godwilling 2025, would also make coding and robotics standard in Senior High Schools. The foundation has been laid with the ongoing provision of tablets to SHS students.
Speaking further, he noted Dr. Bawumia will also implement one student one laptop policy for Tertiary students through the provision of zero interest loan with a 70% discount on the cost of the laptops [payable over 4 years] for Tertiary students.
He added that the next NPP government will also focus on special needs education, adding that to start with, he will recruit 1,000 special education teachers and retrain teachers on how to work with special needs students. We will train more speech and language therapists and occupational and behavioural therapists to take care of the vulnerable in social and special needs’.
He explained that Bawumia’s government will also expand infrastructure at medical schools as well as the Ghana School of Law to facilitate an increase in admissions for students for medical and legal studies.
He assured the public that in the next Bawumia government Free SHS would not be cancelled, contrary to the intentions of the NDC’s leader who has pledged to cancel it in the unlikely event he is elected.
Dr. Bawumia’s presidency shall maintain and enhance FREE SHS.
On Scholarship, the Akufo-Addo led government since 2017 has put in place an efficient and functional scholarship scheme through the Scholarship Secretariat.
He said the Secretariat which was almost collapsed under the former President, whereas on the Local Scholarship between 2017 – 2023, there were a total of 152, 283 beneficiaries, whereas on the Foreign Scholarship between 2017– 2023, a total 10,157 benefited, which is an unprecedented award of scholarship by any government in the 4th republic.
He explained that “A critical component of this scholarship scheme is the decentralization of the application process, where applicants apply and go through all the screening processes at the local level and the award decision is also made at the local level”.
However, he expressed worried that the persistent attacks and the constant ridiculing of our students, teachers and youth by Mr Mahama is a cause for worry, adding that “His threat to review and possibly cancel the Free SHS Policy has become a scare to the millions of parents across the country. It is causing trauma and mental health crisis for the poor who rely on this social safety net”.
He warned Mahama to cease from such reckless commentary immediately and apologise to the millions of Free SHS beneficiaries, their teachers, parents and families without delay”.
-BY Daniel Bampoe