Stakeholders Convene in Tamale to Review EdTech Strategy for Inclusive Education

Tamale: A national consultative stakeholders' workshop has been held in Tamale to review and validate the draft Educational Technologies (EdTech) Strategy aimed at promoting inclusive education in the country. The one-day workshop brought together key stakeholders, including academics, civil society organizations, government agencies, education directors, ICT coordinators, school management committee members, students from second-cycle institutions, and the media.According to Ghana News Agency, the event was organised by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS), an agency under the Ministry of Education responsible for regulating, harmonising, and integrating ICT in distance learning, with funding support from the World Bank Executed Trust Fund. The five-year draft strategy outlines key priorities and actionable steps to harness EdTech in enhancing access, quality, and equity in education across the country.Structured around 13 thematic pillars, the strategy addresses governa nce, inclusivity and accessibility, ICT curriculum integration, data protection, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, monitoring and evaluation, experiential learning and innovation, data management and reporting, and administrative efficiency. Other critical pillars include infrastructure and connectivity, localised content development, capacity building, cybersecurity, and digital safety.The workshop served as a platform for participants to validate the strategy and provide input to ensure its relevance, practicality, and alignment with national educational priorities. Dr Diyawu Mumin, Executive Director of CENDLOS, speaking during the workshop, said it was to assess and confirm the relevance and robustness of the 13 thematic pillars of the draft.He explained that the initiative was aligned with key national frameworks including the Ghana ICT in Education Policy, the Education Strategic Plan, and the national digital transformation agenda. He said, 'This workshop sets the stage for final e dits, ministerial approval, and the national launch of the EdTech Strategy.' He disclosed that a national survey conducted prior to the strategy's development indicated a lack of structure in existing EdTech interventions.Dr Mumin emphasised that the strategy was designed not only to guide the adoption of ICT solutions but also to ensure the feasibility and accessibility of remote EdTech across the country. Professor Kofi Sarpong Adu-Manu, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana, and World Bank Consultant for drafting the strategy, said the development of the strategy followed comprehensive research, stakeholder consultations, and several technical review workshops.He said, 'We anticipate a validated EdTech strategy that reflects broad stakeholder consensus, clear implementation priorities, strengthened commitments, and well-defined stakeholder roles.' Nana Baffour Awuah, Director of Pre-Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education, said once implemented, the stra tegy would enhance the effective teaching and learning of ICT and promote inclusive educational outcomes.Dr Abdul Malik Bawah, Chairman of the Tamale Technical University Chapter of the Technical University Teachers' Association of Ghana, commended CENDLOS and its partners for organising the workshop, saying it reinforced the importance of broad stakeholder consultation for effective implementation.