“Every teacher got their laptop before we left”

First thing first, the former Education Minister’s revelation is a big lie. What proof does he have that every single Ghanaian teacher got his/her laptop before the NPP left office?

This shows that his ministry was as usual careless and not abreast with time.

The laptops that were given to teachers had no class and value, it is only in Ghana that a whole education ministry will surpass tried and tested brands like Samsung, Lenovo, Microsoft, HP, Dell, Compaq, Apple, Asus, Acer and many more stylish and sophisticated laptop manufacturers and opt for an inferior and unknown brand like TM1.

Ghana Education Service must bow down their heads in shame for belittling teachers to that extent.

Ghana Education Service officially announced on its website and waxed lyrical about the laptops they are about to share for Ghanaian teachers to aid teaching, learning and research.

The Teachers Mate 1 (TM-1) is a laptop designed for teachers in Ghana by KA Technologies Ghana Limited, a local ICT company. Patronizing locally made goods is a way of improving the economy. It was so refreshing hearing that the laptops were going to be designed by a Ghanaian company not knowing it was going to be the worst thing anyone could think of in terms of technology.

Features of the laptop

Processor

Intel Gemini lake-R Celeron N4020 11-2.8 Ghz RAM 4 GB

Hard Drive

Solid State Drive 256GB

Display

1366 x 768 pixels
TN
14 inches

I/O Ports

USB 3.0 x1 +2.0x 2 ports
1x Micro SD card (up to 128GB)
1x Mimi HDMI
1xRJ45 port
1xMicrophone/ 2x Stereo speakers 8R/TW

Other Features

Front Camera
Bluetooth 4.0
Wifi 802:1 b/g/h
Battery Pack Lithium-ion polymer Battery
5000 mAh
Max Voltage 7.4V
AC Power Adaptor Input 100-240 VAC 50-60 Hz
Output Voltage 12.0 V 2.0A

Whoever initiated the 1 Teacher 1 Laptop policy should be praised for the wonderful idea about Ghana’s education. However, the one who led the negotiations must be ashamed of himself.

The laptops are so inferior to the extent that it is the sharp opposite of the ‘all-day battery life’ advert they made.

The features of the TM1 laptops should not be anywhere near the standard needed by teachers.

Truthfully, Ghanaian teachers do not need a 16″ Apple MacBook PRO M2 MAX computer for their jobs but at least, they deserve something way above what was provided to them.

No parent will go to a computer shop and purchase this kind of sub-standard laptop for his or her child who is at the Junior High School for the introduction of ICT.

Former Education Minister, Yaw Adutwum, knows very well that he will not give such an inferior laptop to his 10 year-old-son to even play with, so if it is not sheer wickedness and lack of respect towards teachers, why would he give the green light for such horrible computer?

The former Minister on JoyNews AM Show said, “Every teacher got their laptop before we left, you can check it with the unions, you can check in with them and it will be confirmed that everyone got it,”. We are just two and a half months into 2025 but it could be the biggest lies thus far by any Ghanaian. There was zero remorsefulness on his face when he was being untruthful.

Teachers have been disrespected for far too long in Ghana by leaders due to politics but the laptops that were provided to them were the pinnacle.

The embarrassment Ghanaian leaders have put teachers in must halt commencing from 2025. You just can’t be in your suit and relax in your office and make any terrible decisions for Ghanaian teachers.

The cost of the laptops should be investigated by the OSP as soon as possible. Why would a Grade F laptop be that very expensive? Who in his right senses will pay that huge sum of money for a laptop that cannot last for even one year?

The cost of the laptop

Mr Eric Agbe Carbonu, NAGRAT president revealed the total cost of the TM1 laptop was GHC1,831.47 cedis with the government paying GHC 1,282.03 which is 70 per cent of the cost. Teachers paid 30 per cent which is GHC 549.44.

Teachers felt the cost was inflated because the quality of the laptops was nowhere near the GHC1,831. The cost should be around GHC1200-GHC1300.

“The cost of each laptop is purported to be GHS 1,550 and we suspect that this amount is inflated and that a thorough investigation into procurement will vindicate our position” all the teacher unions said.

The education minister knows very well that his office was not fair to teachers by sanctioning poor laptops for them. Besides, they inflated prices that they would have to account for had Ghana been a country that likes accountability.

On Social Media, many teachers expressed disappointment in Adutuwm’s comments on Friday. Those who did not get their laptops commented with complete vexation, those who got theirs bemoaned the bootless state of theirs. Many questioned the durability and others doubted if the education minister would buy such an inferior laptop for his 10-year-old grandson.