Hands-on computer classes for 1,800 Ghana children

The mobile library Hands-on Computer Classes are in high demand this year, following excellent results in the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E.) in which 81% of children at 17 schools passed their ICT exam.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has supported the Hands-on Computer Classes project - from the children and their parents, the teachers, the libraries and EIFL!

With your support, mobile libraries in four regions of Ghana are taking solar-charged laptop computers and modem internet connections to under-resourced schools in poor and rural areas to give children practical experience of digital technology. The computers are pre-loaded with e-books and other material related to the school curriculum - vital e-resources for schoolchildren who have very few textbooks.

The four regions are Ashanti, Upper East, Volta and Western. This year, the libraries are reaching over 2,000 children at 18 schools in grades 1, 2 and 3. For grade 3, the libraries’ classes are especially important, because at the end of grade 3 children write the B.E.C.E., which determines progress to secondary school. Children who complete secondary school can enter further education, improving their chances in life. For children in grades 1 and 2, the classes are valuable building blocks for the future.

Because the schools are rural and the roads are rough, the library vans have taken a battering. But the librarians are up to the challenge! In Upper East Region, the head of the Regional Library reports that they are using the library’s pick-up truck while the van is out of action so that the children do not miss classes. "We are still taking the laptops to schools. We will get our library van back up and running soon," he said.

In Volta Region, the situation is similar. Despite difficulties maintaining the van, the library is visiting six junior high schools. The teachers and children are really happy. “The mobile library service has reshaped the quality of teaching and learning by tackling the practical aspect of learning which has been a long standing problem,” an enthusiastic teacher told the Volta Regional Library.