GES pressured to retrieve 83,000 tablets over misuse
A serious issue has surfaced within the government’s flagship digital learning programme, following a disclosure by the Education Minister that some students are using the state-provided tablets to view pornographic content.
In light of this revelation, Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), a prominent education policy organisation, is pressing the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately recall all tablets issued to Senior High School (SHS) students and equip them with stringent safety features.
This call follows comments made by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu in Parliament on Thursday, confirming that the tablets meant to support learning are being widely misused.
The government originally planned to distribute about 83,000 tablets nationwide to enhance digital literacy in secondary schools.
Eduwatch argues that the devices became vulnerable because they were not fitted with essential UNESCO-approved safety features and firewalls before distribution.
According to the organisation, the lack of these protections has turned a promising educational tool into a potential risk for students.
To address the issue, Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, Project Management Specialist at Eduwatch, urged the GES to take swift, centralised action.
“Since the tablets have already been procured and distributed, we recommend that GES retrieve them and ensure that safety measures are fully implemented.”
He added that the process is manageable.
“Retrieval can be done at the school level, and the necessary safeguards must be deployed. These devices are strictly for academic use and should not be used for any other purpose.”
Eduwatch further stressed that the technological fixes must be thorough and focused on protecting minors.
This includes installing strong Mobile Device Management (MDM) software that allows administrators to control applications, block harmful websites, and monitor usage in line with child online protection policies.
The think tank insists that recalling and reconfiguring the tablets is critical not only to protect students from harmful content but also to ensure the devices serve their intended educational purpose and safeguard the government’s multi-million-cedi investment.
GES now faces significant pressure to carry out a nationwide recall and secure thousands of devices, ensuring that Ghana’s digital education initiative does not turn into a major public safety issue.