A teacher from Ghana has received worldwide praise after a photo of him showing his students how to use Microsoft Word on a blackboard went viral.
Richard Appiah Akoto, who teaches information and computer technology (ICT), shared the photo of himself using multi-coloured chalk to recreate a computer screen as his students copied it into their notebooks.
“Teaching of ICT in Ghana’s school is very funny,” he said in the Facebook post alongside the photos.
For the past six years, Akto has taught at Betenase M/A Junior High School, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of Ghana’s second-largest city, Kumasi, says Quartz. The school does not have any computers “even though since 2011, 14 and 15-year-olds are expected to write and pass a national exam...with ICT being one of the subjects.”
The original Facebook post quickly gained traction on other social media until someone tweeted the photo to Microsoft. The company said it would send Akoto a computer as well as access to their “professional development resources.”
This picture has been circulating on web. Does anyone know what country? This teacher is my hero. I want to find him. #TeachingIsAVocation pic.twitter.com/k7d0ysKrDj
— Rebecca Enonchong (@africatechie) February 25, 2018
Supporting teachers to enable digital transformation in education is at the core of what we do. We will equip Owura Kwadwo with a device from one of our partners, and access to our MCE program & free professional development resources on https://t.co/dJ6loRUOdg
— Microsoft Africa (@MicrosoftAfrica) February 27, 2018
Many people responded to Microsoft’s decision saying that the multi-billion-dollar company should do more to help Akoto’s students.
Quite impressive...But why not make a direct impact on the pupils as well by equipping the school too, cause according to the base source of the picture, the problem was electricity and not device. But generally its a good way of exhibiting CSR. Kudos!
— Rotimi Daramola %uD83C%uDFA5 (@Mr__Rotimi) February 28, 2018
Great job. Now be really spectacular and equip the entire school with the latest devices and software, and be really badass and partner with @brcknet to equip the school with Internet access!
— Raquel Wilson (@raquelwilson) February 28, 2018
Just one device @MicrosoftAfrica ?!? I know you can do MUCH more than that. Hey @BillGates? What do you think @Apple ?
— Paige Cockburn (@PaigeCockburn) March 1, 2018
Quartz points out that Akoto’s situation is symptomatic of an “under-resourced dysfunctional public school system.”
Throughout Africa, many economically disadvantaged families “are forced to choose private schools over free public primary schools” due to a lack of resources. In Ghana, there have been calls for a more equal distribution of educational resources to help rural schools like Betenase which “struggle with infrastructure and teaching logistics challenges.”
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