The Innovative Teachers (IT) and All Teachers Alliance Ghana (ATAG) have jointly sued the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education (MoE), the KA Technologies Ghana Limited over the government’s “One Teacher One Laptop Initiative”
The two vibrant Teacher Unions have taken the pain to sue GES, MoE and KA Technologies at the Accra High Court to restrain them from distributing laptops to teachers under the One Teacher One Laptop project and deduction of teacher’s professional allowance from source.
According to the two Teacher Unions, the suit is questioning the legal capacity of K.A TECHNOLOGIES GHANA LIMITED and the contract that was given to same by the GES and MoE herein to manufacture laptops under the one teacher one laptop initiative.
READ ALSO:Â Teacher Unions secure court injunction over one teacher one laptop project
The Teacher Unions are praying the Accra High Court for an order for Interlocutory Injunction restraining the GES, MoE and KA Technologies Ghana Limited, their agents, successors, assigns, service men, workmen and all persons claiming through them from awarding or entering into a contract of selling or distributing laptop computers and/or in any way dealing with or interfering with any contract of selling or distributing laptop computers under the one teacher one laptop computer programme pending the final determination of this suit, in terms of the accompanying affidavit.
The Accra High Court, following the suit has placed an interlocutory injunction on the distribution of One Teacher One Laptop and subsequent deduction of teachers professional allowance from source.
The Court will be moved on the 24th day of November, 2021 at 9 O’clock in the forenoon or so soon thereafter as Counsel for the Plaintiff/Applicant may be heard.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW.
THE UNIONS EARLIER PETITIONED CHRAJ
Earlier, the two Teacher Unions have jointly petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the procurement of TMI laptops for teachers.
NaCCA releases learning areas of the Common Core Programme
According to the two Teacher Unions it trite knowledge that manufacturing of electronic gadgets in large quantities makes the price per item very low.
In a petition signed by Christian Aidoo ( Secretary, All Teachers Alliance Ghana) and Albert Dadson (Secretary, Innovative Teachers) the cost of each laptop is purported to be GH¢1,550 hence suspect an inflation of the amount. They believe that, a thorough investigation into the procurement will vindicate their position.
“The highest price for this TMI lap top in our estimation must not be more than 600 Ghana cedis given the specifications of this laptop and the colossal number of 280,000 laptops.” They disclosed.
Reject the Mate 1 TM1 laptop, it’s a ‘Scrap and Bomb’; IT expert tells teachers
According to them, the request for investigation has become necessary due to the fact that the procurement of two hundred and eighty thousand (280,000) laptops ought to result in a significant reduction in the price for teachers and the taxpayer to pay.
The Union suggest that, the cost of each laptop as purported to be GH¢1,550 and this suspects that this amount is inflated. A thorough investigation into the procurement will vindicate their position.
BACKGROUND
The Government of Ghana has handed over laptops to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) for onwards distribution to teachers across the country.
Exposed: Preliminary findings about ‘One Teacher One Laptop’ revealed
At a brief but colourful ceremony at the campus of the St Mary’s Senior High School on Friday, September 3, the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has launched and handed over 350,000 laptops under the ‘One Teacher One Laptop’ programme to the GES and MoE in fulfilment of government’s pledge to equip Ghana’s teachers with the requisite ICT skills to prepare the next generation for the Fourth Industrial revolution.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice President has underscored that effective teaching and learning is critical to developing the human capacity for work, innovation and creativity; necessary ingredients for capacity building.
According to him, teachers are indispensable pillars to this necessary capacity building. He added that, this initiative, in collaboration with the Teacher Unions, is to support the vision of the Ghana Education Service of creating an enabling environment to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
SAD VIDEO: 10 students drown while returning from Headteacher’s farm
Dr. Bawumia has disclosed that, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government will provide teachers in Ghana with laptops preloaded with educational materials and with access to an E-Library equipped with books recommended by the GES on the various subjects.
The materials can be accessed whether online or offline and with free Wi-Fi available in 722 Senior High Schools across the country, access to the almost innumerable resources available on the internet is expected to aid research, teaching and learning.
Basic requirements to qualify for Vehicle Maintenance Allowance
According to available records, the Pre-tertiary Education Unions in collaboration with GES and MoE have unanimously agreed to distribute a customized TMI laptops to Pre-tertiary teachers in Ghana. The agreement said, government will absorb 70% cost of the laptops while teachers pay for the remaining 30%. The 30%, according to GES shall be deducted from the salary of beneficiaries of TMI laptops from source.
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
 and All Teachers Alliance Ghana (ATAG) have jointly sued the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education (MoE), the KA Technologies Ghana Limited over the government's "One Teacher One Laptop Initiative"The two vibrant Teacher Unions have taken the pain to sue GES, MoE and KA Technologies at the Accra High Court to restrain them from distributing laptops to teachers under the One Teacher One Laptop project and deduction of teacher's professional allowance from source.){kind=link}