Aggrieved teachers in the Bolgatanga Municipality are up in arms against the Ghana Education Service and the three teacher unions over the one teacher one laptop initiative.
The teachers who are members of the major teacher unions who spearheaded the procurement of the TM1 laptops to be distributed to teachers at the basic and second cycle level are not happy with the brand of the laptop being distributed to them. They called on their leaders to return the laptops and refund them their money which was deduct at source by the Controller and Accountant General Department.
At a press conference organized in Bolgatanga on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, the aggrieved teachers led by ABUSANG MUMUNI SULE demanded for a refund of their money used in purchasing new laptops for teachers under the initiative.
“It is a misappropriation of funds and economically unwise to fund the project with pension funds. We don’t need brandless laptops. We need popular brands like HP, Dell, MacBook. GES should refund our GHS 509 now!”
The government through the various teacher unions has procured 350,000 Teacher Mate one (TM1) laptops through sole-sourcing from K.A Techniques Ghana Limited for public school teachers nationwide.
Government says it will bore 70 percent of the cost of the laptops and training which equals GHc1,500 cedis while teachers pay the rest of the 30 percent amounting to about 509 cedis on each laptop per teacher but the teachers argue that “the laptops are of low quality which shouldn’t that much.
The teachers alledge that they product is being forced on them because some group just for the financial benefit of a few individuals in previlage positions.
“” The deal is very fraudulent and that all deductions made should be refunded to us with immediate effect. We will not allow ourselves to be taken for granted by our Union leaders. Madam Philippa, Mr. Thomas Musah, Mr. Angel Carbonu, and King Ali are the cause of our woes teachers.”
Meanwhile, the union leaders and the GES have mounted a spirited defense against their position, stating that nothing untoward was done on their part in procuring the TM1 laptops for the teachers.
These aggrieved teachers are not alone, a teacher group calling itself the All Teachers Alliance have taken the government to court over the issue.Experts in the information and technology industry have raised questions about the equality and durability of the laptops.
The brand and specs of the laptop have raised many eye eyebrows.
Specification of the TM 1 laptop:
Battery – 3.7v (6-8 hours).
Speed- 2.3 GHz.
RAM- 2GB.
ROM Flash 250- 500.
Camera – Front (0.3MP/ 2MP).
By: Wisdom Adekura/mywordfmonline.com