Accra, May 17, GNA - Global Teenage Project (GTP), an Information Communication Technology (ICT) and development-oriented non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been commended for partnering government to provid= e ICT skills for educators and students in the country. Mr Victor Mantey, Director for Teacher Education Unit, Ministry of Education, said "I would like to commend the management of GTP for provid= ing professional development training for teachers and students in over 40 Junior and Senior High Schools in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and=

Northern Regions".

He was addressing participants at the first workshop, organised by G= TP for its facilitators worldwide, in Accra on Monday. Mr Mantey commended the NGO for initiating programmes such as web development, knowledge and online professional development programmes for=

teachers and students.

The week-long workshop under the theme: "Investing in Quality Educat= ion by Empowering Teachers and Educators" is being attended by 35 GTP facilitators across the globe. It was aimed at developing new strategies for the implementation of GTP's aims and programmes for 2010.

Mr Mantey reiterated government's commitment to the development of I= CT and its integration into all facets of Ghanaian life. He cited the provision of high quality manpower and the development of entrepreneurship, as well as efficient labour force as some of the benefi= ts to be derived from the provision of quality educational system. GTP with its headquarters in the Netherlands was established in Ghan= a in 1999, to promote new ways of learning and teaching through ICT. Its activities include enhancing the career opportunities of young people by educating them on the need to offer right courses in both secondary and tertiary schools. It also educates students and educators on health issues, education,=

global issues and poverty and hunger. Mr. Bob Hoffman, Coordinator of GTP Netherlands, said that due to th= e hard work of management, it had trained about 16,000 students in 40 countries in six different languages across the world. He called for more assistance for teachers and educators across the globe since they were the main pillars of change in the society due to th= eir daily interaction and imparting knowledge to students.

Mr. Hoffman pledged GTP's commitment in leading the way in the use o= f ICT for educating both educators and students. Mr. Ebenezer Malcolm, Executive Director of GTP Ghana, said it had trained 750 teachers in basic ICT knowledge and skills and 840 students i= n web development skills.

He said GTP was playing an increasing role in youth development, add= ing "it is becoming an important aspect in the employment sector and a tool f= or enhancing citizen participation in social and economic activities". Mr. Malcolm said the focus of GTP was to use ICT to connect local an= d international learners and teachers in developing educational contents, promoting cross-culture understanding and raising ICT and awareness in schools. He noted that for the programme to be seen as a national project, actively involving students and teachers in the formal education system a= nd stakeholders' participation must be enlarged.