Data Statistical Hackathon participants in a discussion with Professor Annim
The Ghana Statistical Services (GSS) celebrated the African Statistics Day (ASD) on November 18, 2024 in Accra.
This year’s celebration, themed, “Supporting Education by Modernising Production of Fit for Purpose Statistics,” is aimed at making sure available data is not only used for its intended purpose, but to become a focal point of our education.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Statistical Service, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, stated that statistics should be made an integral part of our existence like the education system where data from universities are correspond to data provided by the GSS.
“Modernising our statistical systems is vital to ensuring that the data we produce is not only fit-for-purpose but also drives critical sectors such as education,” he said.
As education continues to be a fundamental part of Ghana’s national development, the GSS is leading efforts to provide an innovative, data-driven solution that improves educational outcomes.
Among these efforts is the Statistical Data Hackathon, an initiative inspired by the development of the GSS online StatsBank, a comprehensive platform designed to make statistical data accessible and user-friendly.
The Statistical Data Hackathon engages students, data scientists, educators, policymakers, and other data users in using real-world data to tackle pressing educational challenges.
The Hackathon aims to foster innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving by leveraging the vast array of educational and socio-economic data available through the platform.
“The Statistical Data Hackathon, born from the success of our StatsBank platform, is empowering young innovators to use data in solving real-world challenges and improving educational outcomes,” Prof. Annim added.
Participants, who were from universities across the country, stated that this initiative has had a life changing impact on them.
The students, who represented Ghana in the Hackathon challenge in Denmark this year, noted that in fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) four, Adesua Pa was created.
This software is aimed at promoting quality data for education sector. The software gives thorough reviews of numerous schools ranging from kindergarten to universities to help individuals make necessary decisions about education in the country.
By Vera Owusu Sarpong & Florence Asamoah Adom