The former minister of Education has shed light on the brouhaha surrounding the laptops being shared to teachers across the country
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called Napo, has denied reports circulating on social media that he connived with the various Teacher Unions in the country to provide teachers with substandard laptops.
The One Teacher One Laptop labelled Teacher Mate 1 (TM1) project was initially rumoured to be an initiative of Napo together with his close allies who are the manufacturers but he has vehemently denied such suggestions and has further dared anyone who has evidence to come out so that he honourably resigns.
He however stressed that it was the various Teacher Unions who came up with such a suggestion in order to reduce the workload of their members.
In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, of GES, the distribution of the laptops has commenced and teachers at St. Mary’s Girls Senior High School (SHS) have even taken theirs.
The total cost of the TM1 laptop per one, according to the GES is Ghs1, 831.47 and each teacher has been deducted Ghs509 from their annual professional allowance paid in November.
“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”.