Stakeholders call for policy to boost educational innovation

Stakeholders at a forum on educational technology (EdTech) have called for the development of a comprehensive policy that can help boost innovation in the country’s educational sector.

Towards that, they pledged to work together with the government to create a forward-thinking ICT in education policy to bridge skill gaps, boost manpower development, and empower the country's future workforce.

The stakeholders consisting of policy makers, development partners, educators, entrepreneurs and tech experts recommended three main action points consisting of strategic roadmap development, enhanced collaboration across ecosystems and alignment with national educational goals to set the appropriate framework for integrating solutions into the country’s educational system.

The forum    

This year’s EdTech Stakeholder Forum held in Accra on September 5 was designed to collect insights, feedback and recommendations from diverse stakeholders in the education sector to contribute to an EdTech Roadmap in Ghana.

It set a framework for integrating EdTech into the educational system, ensuring alignment with national goals, and addressing the needs of students, educators and the broader community.

It was organised by MEST Africa, Mastercard Foundation, Centre for Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) and other partners.

A Senior Research Assistant at the Ministry of Education (MoE), Kingsley Boachie, stated that the government envisioned an educational system that contributed to creativity and innovation in the fourth industrial revolution.

He said the overall objective was to produce learners who were assertive and equipped with 21st century competencies of which digital skill was very important.

He said those learners would drive the country’s socio-economic transformation in the next decade.

“We seek to meet the educational and technological development needs of Ghanaian learners with creativity, critical thinking, and innovative skills through a comprehensive academic and practical digital experience for socio-economic development and transformation,” Mr Boachie added.

The Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, noted that the intersection of ICT with education stimulates the development of EdTech policy to drive innovation and transformation in the sector.

"Today's gathering is key, as it sheds light on the nature of the EdTech policy, prioritising infrastructure development, capacity building, and human-centred design to foster an inclusive and effective learning ecosystem.

"Through this forum, we aim to harness the collective expertise of stakeholders, gathering invaluable insights to inform and enrich the EdTech policy, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of Ghana's education landscape,” he said.

Impactful change

The Programmes Director at Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) Africa, Olufemi Adewumi, said collaboration was crucial to drive impactful change in the education sector.

He said the forum had provided an invaluable opportunity for diverse stakeholders to come together and co-create a road map that would not only accelerate the adoption of EdTech in Ghana but also foster an ecosystem that could deliver innovative solutions to reduce the education gap.

Forward looking

Going forward, the Head in-charge of Strategic Partnerships and Thought Leadership at the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Suraj Shah, stated that the Mastercard Foundation was committed to supporting the growth of the country’s EdTech sector.

He said Mastercard Foundation would continue to work closely with stakeholders to ensure that technology enhances learning outcomes for all students.