The iBox, is an offline LMS, designed for Senior High School (SHS) students in remote areas, to provide access to curricu­lum-aligned subjects and Open Educational Resources (OER).

The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed this while answering questions about the sector ministry on the floor of Parliament, yesterday.

He said the government was intensifying efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural schools through initiatives aimed at mod­ernising education and ensuring equal access to learning resources for students across the country.
    

The iBox system, Mr Iddrisu said, served as a content access point, allowing students to con­nect via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, even without internet access.

He said the iBox was deployed in 240 SHSs, benefiting over 120,000 students.

Mr Iddrisu said with support from UNESCO, the iBox initiative has been expanded under the Technology-Enabled Open School System (TEOS) project, to include basic schools, ensuring uninter­rupted learning, especially during crises such as pandemics.

He explained that the iCam­pusgh, on the other hand, was an online platform offering similar educational resources, but re­quired internet connectivity.

These initiatives, according to Mr Iddrisu, reflected the gov­ernment’s commitment to digital inclusion in education.

“The deployment of digital tools is critical to providing equal learning opportunities, particularly for students in remote areas,” he added.

Additionally, Mr Iddrisu stated that the government was working with development partners to roll out more digital interventions, to bridge the educational gap be­tween rural and urban schools.

In a related development, the Minister provided an update on ongoing infrastructure projects, at Diaso SHS, in the Upper Denky­ira West District of the Central Region.

He said the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) was fund­ing projects for the school, which has a student population of 1,383.

Mr Iddrisu revealed that two contractors, Messrs Sarbert Investment Limited and Messrs Winjet Ghana Limited, were awarded contracts in December 2019, to construct dormitories, staff housing, an administration block, and other facilities.

He said work on the project was slow due to funding challenges adding, “Sarbert Investment Lim­ited was responsible for construct­ing the boys’ and girls’ dormitories and the administration block at a revised contract sum of GH¢21.4 million.”

He explained that “As of May 2024, the boys’ dormitory was 74 per cent complete, the girls’ dormitory 50 per cent, and the administration block 98 per cent with the overall progress at 60 per cent.”

Mr Iddrisu said that due to delays, the contract has been terminated, and the project will be re-awarded upon financial clearance.

“Winjet Ghana Limited, responsible for building the head­master and assistant headmaster’s bungalows, a three-storey teachers’ flat, an assembly hall, and a dining hall with a kitchen, has made more progress, with an overall completion rate of 88 per cent. However, external works is yet to commence, as the contractor is awaiting outstanding payments from GETFund,” he said.