A concern has erupted within the government’s flagship digital learning initiative after Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu revealed that some students are using state-issued tablets to access pornography.
In response, leading education policy think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has issued an urgent directive, calling on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately retrieve all tablets distributed to Senior High School (SHS) students and install robust safety controls.
The demand follows the minister’s disclosure in Parliament on Thursday, confirming that the devices—intended strictly for academic work—were being misused for inappropriate content. The government had targeted the distribution of about 83,000 tablets nationwide as part of efforts to enhance digital literacy in secondary schools.
The Retrieval Mandate
Eduwatch argues that the absence of UNESCO-approved safety features and firewalls on the devices from the onset has turned a positive educational tool into a major risk for students.
The organisation insists that retrieving the tablets is the only way to protect students from harmful online content and restore the devices’ intended academic purpose.
Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, Project Management Specialist at Eduwatch, urged the GES to take swift, centralised action.
“Those tablets have already been procured and distributed. We recommend that GES retrieve them and ensure that the safety measures are fully implemented.”
He further outlined a practical and scalable approach for addressing the situation.
“Retrieval can be done at the school level, and the necessary safeguards must be deployed. The devices are intended for academic purposes only, to support students’ learning, and not for any other activity.”
Securing the Digital Classroom
Eduwatch emphasised that any technological intervention must prioritise the protection of minors. This includes installing strong Mobile Device Management (MDM) software to allow central administrators to control applications, block inappropriate websites, and monitor device usage in line with child online protection standards.
The think tank maintains that retrieving and reconfiguring the tablets is crucial—not only to shield students but also to safeguard the multi-million Ghana cedi investment in the devices.
With growing public concern, the GES now faces significant pressure to undertake a nationwide recall and secure thousands of tablets, ensuring that the country’s push for digital transformation in education does not escalate into a larger public safety crisis.
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