HE Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s justification for procuring tablets for all SHS before December 2023 is based on digitized textbooks which is cool-Textbook Tablets. They are cheaper than the paper ones.

Presently, according to the Ministry, SHS already have adequate paper textbooks-an achievement.

A new SHS curriculum is being finalized for implementation in the 2024/25 academic year. It is expected that after cabinet approval later this year, the development of textbooks content may start by last quarter of 2023 or early 2024.

Lessons from the new primary school curriculum’s textbook content development process suggests, the earliest SHS textbooks content would be available after NaCCA’s review and approval processes should be late 2024 or early 2025.

So, which textbooks content will be installed on the tablets we are procuring this year? The already existing adequate SHS paper textbooks in the outgoing curriculum?

Respectfully, we are in years four and two of implementing new primary and JHS curricula. While primary schools are struggling to get all textbooks due to lack of funds to procure NaCCA approved textbooks, i am not aware of any NaCCA approved JHS textbooks yet…

Why won’t we at least ensure primary and JHS have the full compliment of textbooks in 2023 and 2024 before embarking on this Textbooks Tablets expedition?

Why not wait till 2025 when SHS textbooks content would have been carefully and diligently developed, reviewed and approved by NaCCA, then we procure the Textbook Tablets instead of paper textbooks?

Why are we in a rush to procure what is not even budgeted? I see a heavy commercial loan hitting our books very soon.

Without delving into user and maintenance frameworks for the 1.3 million tablets, the timing of this decision may only make political and procurement sense. It has nothing to do with education.

Your excellency, it is possible to reprioritise by doing the right things the right way at the right time.

Kofi Asare
Eduwatch
Kasare@eduwatch.info