Education in the Central Region, particularly Cape Coast, will soon receive a major boost under the $10 billion Cape Coast Green City Project.
The Project, which has several components including tourism, health and education, would train teachers on key technological platforms and the use of tools to create a rich and engaging online teaching environment for both teachers and students.
The course, which has started in earnest, will have 17 virtual training sessions for 24 weeks and it would among others, teach participants to have insight into creating an effective online learning environment and methods for teaching students.
It is also expected that they understand the basics of how a computer works to create a stable online classroom and learn to use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, SteadyX LMS platforms along with supporting digital tools as a basis for teaching online
They will further explore new educational technology trends and methodologies.
The training would also incorporate a Learn, Try, Apply (LTA) approach whereby participants would play an active role in hands-on practice and activities to stimulate a real online classroom experience.
Speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the Holy Child Senior High School where one of the training was being held, Mr Kojo Mamphey, the Executive Director of Mamdev Company, lead consultant and facilitator of the Project, said his Company had partnered Steady/X to institute a virtual and online educational system in Cape Coast to ensure effective teaching and learning.
He said 11 schools in Cape Coast plus Mfantseman Senior High School in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District would benefit from the training.
Also, two higher institutions of education; the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) would be beneficiaries.
Mr Mamphey explained that the training was significant because, within the next two years, the world would be technologically driven and schools would have to study their curriculum online.
The training would therefore instil the requisite knowledge and skills in both teachers and students to teach and learn online without difficulty.
The Education component would in addition, provide modern research centres for higher institutions of education to aid extensive research on a wide range of issues for growth and development.
Mr Mamphey was optimistic that the Region will soon be reinstated to its former glory as the citadel of education and called for support from all stakeholders to achieve that feat.
Mr Fred Anim, the coordinator and content officer in charge of e-learning of Steady/X, at the Wesley Girls Senior High School, said the teachers would be trainers after their training and would be obliged to train other colleagues and students.
He said there would be a data centre where all instruments and data for students would log in to online learning.
Mr. Anim explained that the teachers would be equipped to engage students who would be at home to continue their course, now that schools were operating on a double track system.
He said an estimated 40,000 laptops would be distributed to all Senior High School students in the Area, after being equipped by the teachers, while schools infrastructure would see a massive face-lift.
The Cape Coast Green City is a 10 billion dollar project, birthed by Mamdev Ghana Limited, a construction firm with its CEO as the lead consultant and facilitator and would partner with several local and foreign investors to develop the historic city into an ultra-modern smart city.
The partners would use their capacities to ensure sustainable, diverse, integrated and strong development in Cape Coast Metropolis and beyond.
The foreign partners include Steady/X and Hitachi Technologies, an information technology firm, with support from the Chiefs and people of Cape Coast and the Government of Ghana as well as the Diaspora.
