Bridge the communication gap through education

By Fauziatu Adam

In today’s world of astonishing advancement in Information Communication Technology (ICT), many countries have put in measures to ensure that they take advantage of the opportunity ICT brings for the benefit of their citizens.
 In the United States for instance, an astounding 76 per cent of the population have access to the Internet. In Japan, 86 per cent of the population have access to the Internet.
In Ghana however, only a few people have access to the Internet.Ghana still has a long way to go with regards to becoming an information society.
For Ghana to move rapidly towards being an information society,it should have a society characterised by a high level of information intensity in the everyday life of most citizens in most organisations and work places. They must  use  common or compatible technology for a wide range of personal, social, educational, and business activities, and have  the ability to transmit, receive and exchange digital data rapidly between places irrespective of distance. There is therefore,the need to critically examine the following factors.
 With an illiteracy rate of 31 per cent, according to the Ghana Statistical service, there are numerous Ghanaians who are not educated and it is imperative that the government makes the effort to change that situation.
The basic problems facing the development of Education in Ghana are poverty and inadequate educational facilities and equipment.
Poverty
Due to socio-economic difficulties, many parents cannot afford to send their children to school. Though the government’s Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCBE) makes education in public basic schools free, parents are still obliged to buy school uniforms, books and other educational materials for their children. Many parents cannot afford to do even this; so we have many children hawking in the streets or learning trades instead of acquiring education.
Inadequate Educational Facilities and Infrastructure
There are places in Ghana where people do not have access to schools. In places where there are schools, there is the everlasting problem of inadequate infrastructure.
 It is common therefore, to find students learning under trees and canopies and in open space  exposed to rain and sunshine.
Many of our schools lack other basic imperatives for quality education such as competent and motivated teachers and educational facilities such as textbooks and computers.
 As a result of all these, many students end up lacking quality education.
Needless to say, one needs to have some form of education  to be able to critically and coherently analyse information.
An educated person possesses the intelligence to make rational inferences and deductions from the information they acquire.
The US, Japan, England and other countries have attained the status of an  information society status  because the majority of their citizens are educated.
 If education is not prioritised in Ghana, the country will continue to move towards becoming  an information society but at a slow pace.
Solutions
The government therefore, should take proactive measures to build schools in deprived areas of the country.
 In places where there are schools, the government should ensure that those schools are provided with adequate educational facilities and equipment. Situations where students learn under trees and canopies are unacceptable because such an environment is not conducive for effective teaching and  learning.
The government should find ways of motivating teachers to encourage them to offer their best. Those teaching in deprived areas should be given special incentives to encourage them. This will prevent a situation where teachers refuse postings to deprived areas.
Though the government deserves commendation for making education free and compulsory, a lot still has to be done.
 Many parents prefer sending their children to the streets to sell instead of sending them to school to acquire education. The government should therefore, go the extra mile by prosecuting parents who refuse to send their children to school.
Finally, the government should provide I.C.T equipment  for our schools so that by the time children grow up, they would know certain basic things about the computer and information communication technology.