GOVERNMENT OF GHANA

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

GHANA

June 2011

GHANA ICT IN EDUCATION STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2011-2015

FOREWARD

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

1.2The International, Regional and National Contexts

1.3Objective and rationale of the ICT in Education Strategic implementation Plan 2011-2015

1.4Governance

1.5Methodology

1.6Layout

2VISION, MISSION, FUNCTION AND VALUES

2.1Societal Vision

2.2Mission Statement

2.3Institutional Vision

2.4Core Values

2.5Core Functions

3SITUATION ANALYSIS

3.1Introduction

3.2Ghana Education Sector Plan 2010-2020

3.3Ghana National ICT4AD Policy

3.4Ghana draft ICT in Education Policy

3.5Proposed deployment plan for ICT in Education

3.6Needs Analysis by Stakeholders

4STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS

4.1Introduction

4.2Overall goal: using ICT to increase access, equity, quality and relevance

4.3Strategic Objectives

4.4Logical framework: Priority outputs and indicators

4.5Budget

5IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

5.1Introduction

5.2Implementation

5.3Monitoring

5.4Evaluation of activities and programmes

5.5Human resources

ABBREVIATIONS

AF / Administration and Finance Division (of GES)
BE / Basic Education
CAL / Computer Assisted Learning
CBO / Community Based Organisations
CBT / Competency Based Training
CD / Compact Disc
CDMoE / Chief Director of MoE
CL / Complementary Learning
CoE / College(s) of Education
COTVET / Council for TVET
CRDD / Curriculum Research and Development Division (of GES)
DEO / District Education Office/OfficeR
DG / Director General of GES
DP / Development Partner(s)
EFA / Education for All
EM / Educational Management
EMIS / Education Management Information System
ESP / Education Strategic Plan
GES / Ghana Education Service
GESCI / Global E-Schools and Communities Initiative
HRD / Human Resource Development
ICT / Information and Communication Technologies
INSET / In-Service Education of Teachers
JHS / Junior High School
KG / Kindergarten
LFA / Logical Framework Approach
M&E / Monitoring and Evaluation
MDG / Millennium Development Goals
MoE / Ministry of Education
MoEP / Ministry of Economic Planning
MoF / Ministry of Finance
MoMYE / Ministry of Manpower Youth and Employment
MoYS / Ministry of Youth and Sports
NCCA / National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
NCTE / National Council for Tertiary Education
NF / Non-Formal (Education)
NGO / Non-Governmental Organisation
OU / Open University
PBME / Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation
PRESET / Pre-Service Education of Teachers
SED / Secondary Education Division
SHS / Senior High School
SRIMPR / Statistics, Research, Information Management & Public Relations
SWOT / Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
TE / Tertiary Education
TED / Teacher Education Division (of GES)
TLM / Teaching and Learning Materials
TOT / Trainers of Trainers/Tutors/Teachers
TTC / Teacher Training College
TVET / Technical and Vocational Education and Training
TVI / Technical Vocational Institutions
TVED / Technical and Vocational Education Division (of GES)
TVSD / Technical and Vocational Skills Development
UBE / Universal Basic Education

FOREWARD

The Ghana ICT in Education Strategic implementation Plan 2011-2015 provides the Education Sector with strategic direction on ICT integration to enable improved access, equity for all and provision of quality educational opportunities. Through efficient integration of ICT to the Education System the Strategic Implementation Plan also aims to support the Government of Ghana’s intentions to use ICT as a tool for economic growth and development.

National investment in ICT in Ghana is well under way, and the Government has identified ICT integration into the Education Sector as a prioritised area for Ghanaian socio-economic development. The need for a nationally accepted ICT in Education Strategic Implementation Plan for Ghana is vital to ensure a coordinated approach towards the country’s transition into a knowledge based economy. Educational objectives and priorities must be aligned and remain focused on transforming Ghana into “an information rich knowledge based and technology driven high income economy and society” as stated in the Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development policy (ICT4AD, 2003).

The purpose of the ICT in EducationStrategic Implementation Plan is to ensure that ICT are efficiently integrated to the Ghanaian education system to enable fulfilment of goals and guiding principles as stated in national policy frameworks such as the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2010-2020, the Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development policy (ICT4AD, 2003) and the draft ICT in Education Policy (2007). The ICT in EducationStrategic Implementation Plan will provide the education sector with strategic direction, coordination capacity and resource identification for ICT in Education initiatives.

TheICT in Education Strategic implementation Plan 2011-2015 has been developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. Existing policy framework, a Needs Analysis carried out in March and April 2011, and outcomes from the 2011 National Education Sector Annual Review provide the point of departure for a Strategic implementation Plan that aims to encompass the visions and principles of all the parties involved. I thank my senior officials and technical staff at all involved agencies for their committed efforts during the preparation stages.

I wish to take this opportunity to commend this ICT in Education Strategic implementation to all those who support education development in Ghana.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the process of transforming the country’s economic development and spurring a transition from an agrarian to a knowledge-based economy, the Government of Ghana has pinpointed education and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as driving forces for such change. Introducing ICT in the field of education to equip the workforce with 21st century skills is a national priority. ICT offers unique and cost-effective solutions to accelerate the achievement of access, equity and quality education. The Education Sector Performance Review, May 2011 reveals three major thematic areas such as Socio-Humanistic, Educational and Economic. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has specifically prioritised the Science and Technological education at all levels.

The Ghana ICT in Education Strategic Implementation Plan for 2011-2015 is developed in consultation with national and external stakeholder andsets out the future direction for integration of ICT in Education. The Strategic Implementation Plan complements the ESP 2010-2020 and draft ICT in Education Policy andoutlines the Ghana aspirations on the national, regional and international levels. It seeks to support objectives at all levels, the broadest being to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Education For All (EFA) goals, along with the targets set by the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). This Plan also promotes the use ICT as an opportunity to increase regional collaboration in the field of education, concerning infrastructure, policy, standards and research, to name just a few. On the national scale, the Strategic Implementation Plan aims to accompany infrastructure projects currently under development or waiting to be so, and to back the national effort to increase quality in education with the support of ICT solutions.

Beyond objectives linked to specific contexts, the societal vision that underpins this Strategic Implementation Plan is “A nurturing, effective teaching and learning environment that will enable all Ghanaians to reach their individual potential and to become well-rounded, critically thinking citizens of an innovative, knowledge-based economy.” To move this vision forward, themission is to harness the innovative and cost-effective power of ICT to increase access, equity, skills and build capacity of all those involved in providing education. The ICT in Education coordination unit established under MoE has been coordinatingand managing the issues pertaining to policy. There would be an exclusive resource person shall continue to coordinate the policy related issues. The talent resource person shall be operation as part of the PBME department of MoE. As part of this Strategic Implementation Plan, it is visualised that the exclusive coordination unit / department shall be established under GES to coordinate and implement the ICT in Education initiatives and Programmes.The core functions of this unit will be to support implementation of the ICT in Education Policy and Strategic Plan, strengthen and coordinate public and private partnerships, provide guidance to member institutions in ICT in Education matters and ensure monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects. The unit under GES will act as an input provider to MoE for policy formulation and refinement.

Prior to developing this ICT in Education Strategic Implementation Plan, education-based initiatives in the National ICT for Accelerated Development Policy (ICT4AD, 2003)and draft ICT in Education policy were thoroughly reviewed. The major challenges identified pertaining to lack of infrastructure and high costs to acquire power, equipment and connectivity. The absence of a culture around the use of ICT also tends to prevent the adoption of such tools in education, as do the limited availability of digital content, expertise and project coordination, lack of road map for systematic capacity building for continuous professional development of teachers. However, the ESP 2010-2020 and National ICT4ADpolicy document support the ICT in Education initiatives which holds the promise for rapid change in the field. New opportunities will and must be seized to expand infrastructure, integration of ICT for core / elective / subject learning, develop partnerships with the public and private sectors, and create new links with regional and international initiatives.

With the overall goal of using ICT to increase access, equity and quality; the following six strategic objectives will be given special focus during the period 2011-2015;

Objective 1:Create fresh impetus for and strengthen ICT in Education culture

Objective 2: Develop appropriate Education Management support structures and policies

Objective 3: Expand ICT infrastructure

Objective 4: Build capacity for ICT and pedagogical development

Objective 5: Develop and distribute quality digital content

Objective 6: Institute appropriate Monitoring & Evaluation procedures, Research and Networking

Strong monitoring and evaluation schemes will be designed to ensure that all ICT in Education programmes and projects in the above fields are functioning at their utmost potential and to track and adjust objectives and processes. A detailed roadmap with timelines and clearly defined roles and responsibilities of various players will also be developed subsequently to implement this Strategic ImplementationPlan.

The six strategic objectives will frame the inclusion of all initiatives into the national plan. Stakeholders and partners are encouraged to use this Strategic Implementation Plan as a point of reference and guiding framework when considering participating in Ghana’s effort to promote ICT in Education for an enabling access, equity and enhancement of quality learning.

1INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

Information, knowledge and technology have emerged as vital factors for socio-economic development with the emergence of the information age. Effective use of information and knowledge is to today key in enabling economic growth, wealth creation and socio-economic well-being.The Government of Ghana recognises the opportunities generated by the information and knowledge economy as a new source for the creation of quality jobs, welfare and wealth generation, income redistribution and poverty alleviation, as well as for rapid economic development, prosperity and a source for facilitating global competitiveness. In itsICT for Accelerated Development Policy (ICT4AD, 2003) Ghana spells out the ambition to transform itself “into an information rich knowledge based and technology driven high income economy and society”. One important step in enabling the country to move its industrially weak, subsistence agriculture-based economy towards an information and knowledge economy the country is to develop and implement comprehensive integrated ICT led socio-economic development policies, strategies and plans.

Further, for Ghana to make any appreciable progress in its socio-economic development efforts, substantial resources will need to be directed at improving educational delivery. International experience from both developed and developing countries have shown that ICT have an enormous potential for knowledge creation, knowledge dissemination, knowledge acquisition, effective learning and the development of more efficient education services. The key role that ICT can play in widening access to education to a wider section of the population and literacy education for facilitating educational delivery and training at all levels has been recognized as a key priority area already inGhana’s2007 Education Reforms. The importance of ICT to equip Ghanaians with the skills needed in the 21st Century is further emphasised in the national Education Sector Plan 2010-2020 as well as Education Sector Performance Report, May 2011.

The integration of ICT in the field of education is a national priority in need of coordination and direction.The draft ICT in Education Policy from 2007has to be revised following the2007 Education Reformsand the most recent national Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2010-2020. Even though given a separate sub-chapter in the ESP 2010-2020, guidelines for how ICT integration is to be realised are quite limited why this Strategic Implementation Plan aims to give more concrete guidance on required activities. The policy also has to be complemented with a Costed Strategic Implementation Plan to ensure that the ICT tools are used at their utmost potential, funding is allocated to prioritised interventions, and that ICT expertise is being built up in the country.

This ICT in Education Strategic Implementation Plan builds upon the draft ICT in Education Policy, the national ICT4AD Policy, and the most recentESP 2010-2020. It also looks at a proposed Policy Framework for the Deployment of ICTs in Education developed in 2010.The main purpose of the ICT in Education Strategic Implementation Plan is to provide a roadmap and budget framework for how Ghana in an efficient and coordinated way can deploy ICTs to improve pre-tertiary educational delivery following the pathway for the Ghanaian Education sector as set out in the ESP 2010-2020.

1.2The International, Regional and National Contexts

The basic education sub sector is a major component of the education sector. On an international level, Ghana subscribes to the Education For All (EFA) principles and process. Programmes that put into effect the six goals arising from the 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar are also implemented. In recognition of this Ghana has been included in the FTI programme of the World Bank. In addition, Ghana is a signatory to the international Millennium Development Goals (MDG), four of which have special significance for the education sector;

  • MDG2: All children should complete a full course of primary schooling
  • MDG3: Elimination of gender disparity at all levels of education
  • MDG 6: Eradication of malaria and reversal of the spread of HIV&AIDS
  • MDG 7: Environmental sustainability and access to safe water

Ghana is also a member state of and contributor to NEPAD, New Partnerships for Africa Development.

Regionally, Ghana is aspiring to become an ICT hub of Western Africa. The country is on its way towards this goal with the Ghana Telecom University as a highly respected ICT university in the sub-region and ICT training institutions like NIIT, IPMC (Intercom Programming & Manufacturing Company), the Accra Institute of Technology and the Kofi Annan ICT Training Centre serving as centres of excellence in ICT training that attract students from other West African countries.

Efforts to introduce ICTs into Ghana’seducation sector have been made by the Ministry of Education (MoE), primarily through the Ghana Education Service (GES), its development partners and other private sector agencies over the last 15 years. Initiatives have spanned pre-tertiary (both public and private schools) and tertiary education levels. Efforts have largely been geared towards the deployment of ICT to these facilities via the provision of computers and the establishment of ICT laboratories. Access however is still below the standards and numbers demanded. Though comparatively better, the concerns remain for tertiary level institutions. Additionally, there have been several private sector initiatives to set up Community based ICT centres. These however have been largely confined to urban areas with few available examples of how they have been used to support educational objectives.

Additionally, there was the recognition that to ensure success and sustainability, ICT in Education projects should be implemented not necessarily to increase the number of computers, but should instead be based on supporting discrete educational objectives. The lessons learned from the initiatives further highlighted the need for a coordinated, focused and properly managed approach to the adoption and utilization of ICT. Such an approach could further improve the accessibility, equity and delivery of quality education and better maximise the impact of ICT in Education.

Ghana’s most recent ESP covers the period 2010-2020 and maintains previous focus onaccess, equity and quality of education. Essential priority is given to continue to ensure universal access to 11 years of quality basic education with increased, affordable, equitable access to senior and tertiary education.

1.3Objective and rationale of the ICT in Education Strategic implementation Plan 2011-2015

National investment in ICT in Ghana is well under way, and the Government has identified ICT integration as a prioritised area for Ghanaian socio-economic development. The need for a nationally accepted ICT in Education Strategic Implementation Plan for Ghana is vital to ensure a coordinated approach towards the country’s transition into a knowledge based economy. Educational objectives and priorities must be aligned to remain focused on supporting the Government’s intentions to use ICTs as a tool for economic growth and development. A roadmap for how ICT will be effectively integrated into the education sector must be developed to mobilise and guide activities of implementing agencies.

The fundamental objective of the ICT in EducationStrategic Implementation Plan is to ensure that ICT are efficiently integrated to the Ghanaian education system to enable fulfilment of goals and guiding principles as stated in the national ESP 2010-2020. The ICT in EducationStrategicImplementation Plan will provide the education sector with;

Strategic direction:The critical role of ICT in Education is examined in several national documents, but Ghana lacks precise direction at a time when change and innovation are turning the sector around. This Strategic Implementation Plan will help shape, regulate and monitor initiatives in ICT in Education, in response to new national requirements and opportunities.