Accra: Hundreds of teachers in the Effutu Constituency received a major boost to their work on Tuesday as Mr. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Effutu, presented 79 laptops as part of the One Teacher One Laptop initiative. He described the gesture as 'not charity, but an investment in the very people who invest in children.'
According to Ghana News Agency, the distribution of laptops was driven by requests from teachers themselves and not by political season. Addressing teachers, education officials, and community leaders at an event in the Constituency, the Member of Parliament (MP) emphasized the necessity of digital tools in modern education. He argued that teaching in 2026 could no longer be done with chalk and a register alone. With Ghana Education Service (GES) scores now uploaded online, lesson plans accessed through digital portals, and parents expecting instant communication, a teacher without a laptop is 'like a soldier sent to the frontline without a rifle.'
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Minority Leader, revealed that in 2022, 2,015 laptops were distributed in the Constituency. 'The latest batch targets teachers posted from 2023 to date, ensuring no new teacher is left behind in the digital transition,' he said. The MP paid tribute to teachers, acknowledging the heavy moral weight of the profession compared to its material rewards. 'There is no profession that carries heavier moral weight and receives a comparatively lighter material reward than teaching,' he remarked. 'History will judge you kindly even where today's economy has not,' he added.
The Effutu legislator highlighted the commitment of teachers who invest their resources and time for the benefit of children in Effutu, often choosing to remain in the community over better-paying opportunities elsewhere. According to the MP, Effutu was the home of education, situating the initiative within Effutu's legacy. Mr. Afenyo-Markin reminded the gathering that Winneba was home to several educational institutions, saying, 'Effutu does not just consume education. Effutu produces educators for the nation. Today we are not starting a legacy. We are continuing it.'
He promised that the laptop initiative would continue 'for as long as I have the privilege to serve this constituency.' The MP also responded to the Municipal Director of Education's appeal regarding infrastructural issues and pledged that a contractor would be assigned immediately. 'We can no longer ask our education leaders to be water forecasters with buckets,' he said, emphasizing the need for functional educational environments.
Teachers who received the laptops, including Madam Agens Shey, Headmistress of Ayiribi Yankson, M/A Basic School, expressed gratitude and promised to 'make good use of it' for lesson planning, record keeping, and research. Mr. Isaac Benyin, an official with the Ghana Education Service, Effutu Municipal Education Directorate, Winneba, who was also a beneficiary, thanked the MP and pledged that the laptops would be used for their intended purpose to promote holistic education in the Constituency. In all, 100 laptops were intended to be presented, and the remaining 21 are expected to be distributed when school resumes.