Former President John Dramani Mahama has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of buying votes with the One Student, One Tablet initiative.
Addressing a student forum at the Wisconsin University in Accra, the NDC flagbearer said the government is issuing this policy to convince the students who are turning 18 to vote for the NPP in the December polls.
He stated that, “you bring a new curriculum, the children have no textbooks in basic schools for the last four years and you think that giving pre-tertiary students tablets is more important. Of course, everybody knows the political expediency.”
“The pre-tertiary students are going to register in May because some of them are going to be 18 and above. Some are 18 already and they are going to be the ones voting. So this is a gift to entice them to vote for the current government. It’s a bribe for them to vote for this government but I mean the students do not exist in isolation. They live in households and families,” Mr Mahama added.
Govt will continue to empower students to learn the smart way for growth – Bawumia
President Akufo-Addo while launching the initiative announced that 1.3 million tablets were going to be distributed to students under the Smart School Project.
The tablets, he said, were fitted with digital content to aid research, teaching, and learning.
Mr Akufo-Addo said “To distribute 1.3 million educational tablets to students in SHSs. That is one student, and one tablet under the Ghana Smart Schools Project. The tablets are fitted with digital content to aid research, teaching, and learning.
“At the tertiary level, Ghana is pleased to provide at a discounted price tablets and laptops to students and lecturers to facilitate academic [activities]… The government continues to seek innovative ways to do STEM and the FSHS policy.”
“The next phase of FSHS policy enhancement will be propelled by digitalisation. This will allow a seamless online and offline teaching and learning experience,” he stated.