The 1997 Year Group of the Old Achimotan Association (OAA), have handed over an ICT Infrastructure and e-Learning project to the Achimota School as part of their 25th-anniversary celebrations at the school’s 95th Founders Day celebrations.
The gesture was in fulfilment of the responsibility of all old students to return to the school after a period to contribute to a legacy project.
First of its kind in Ghana, the project is aimed to revolutionize teaching and learning in the school as well as to equip students to be competent and be ‘living waters to a thirsty land.’
President of the 1997 Year Group of the OAA, Akora Dr Papa Nii Maale said, People and organizations have been compelled to adjust to more efficient, remote ways of doing things since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic so the e-learning infrastructure will go a long way in helping the students, teaching and non-teaching staff of the school.
“We are all starkly aware of the devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the lives of our friends, loved ones and even ourselves. According to the WHO, this brought about many changes and hardships on countries globally and forever changed the landscape of work and lifestyle. People and organizations have been compelled to adjust to more efficient, remote ways of doing things. Not discounting the devastating loss of life, it has left in its wake, one of the biggest impacts of this “new normal” has been on education and its follow-up implication on children.
Akora Dr Papa Nii added that, recently, an Innovations for Poverty Action report on the “The Impact of COVID19 on Children’s Learning and Development in Ghana” also noted that as the pandemic forced the closure of schools between March 2020 and January 2021, this exacerbated current educational challenges, as other threats to children’s development arose, including crisis-related income shortages, food insecurity caused by the suspension of school meals, and unequal access to distance learning activities. The fear remains that these losses could continue even now after children have returned to school.”
Headmistress of Achimota School Ms Marjorie Affenyi said “the project cannot come at a better time than we currently find ourselves”.
She commended the OAA 97-year group for their kind gesture, assured them of good maintenance of the facility.
“It was, therefore, a relief to me when I got to read in my hand-over note that the OAA’97 Year Group has chosen a three-prolonged ICT Legacy Project which includes an Internet Infrastructure and Internet Service, Teachers Capacity Building and Acquisition of Google Classroom Teaching Tools. These cannot come at a better time than we currently find ourselves. The successful execution of the project in record time gladdens my heart.
“Using this innovative educational technology will without doubt increase teacher-student engagements; while creating more opportunities for students to build upon their strengths and achieve success with the digital tools. It will go a long way to prepare our students to succeed in the future. It will as well give them the skills they will need for ready jobs and also open them up to new technology-related career paths. This monumental achievement by OAA’97 cannot be overemphasized.”
Under the infrastructure project, the group has layed Fibre Optic cables on both the Eastern and Western compounds of the school, connecting all administrative, academic, residential, and recreational facilities. Additionally, the group has arranged and secured the provision of 50 mbps internet to the school for 2 years. The administrative block, the staff common rooms, all ICT labs, all science labs including the entire Tullow Science Block are among some of the key facilities that have been connected.
After a thorough due diligence review of Achimota School by Google Inc., the technology giant has approved the school to access the Google Workspace for Education suite. This provides the school continuous free access to the use of the Google Classroom platform as well as the opportunity to issue achimota.edu.gh email addresses to the 200 plus teachers, 4000 plus students, as well as all non-academic staff of the school.
The Founders Day celebrations is observed annually to remind both past and present students, teachers and parents of the ideals of the founders and the need to work hard to develop the school.
