By Joseph Ngunjiri and Linah Benyawa
Mombasa, Kenya: The Ministry of Education has challenged publishers to provide digital content for use in schools as the Government prepares to embrace technology in the curriculum.
At the same time, private schools are appealing to the Government that they too be considered once the programme rolls out.
Mr John Temba, who is the Head of ICT at the Ministry of Education, told publishers that the Government has set aside funds to buy digital content for Standard One pupils starting next year.
“The Ministry of Education is committed to integrating ICT in learning and teaching as espoused in Sessional Paper number 14 of 2012,” said Temba.
Temba, who was addressing publishers at a digital publishing workshop at a Nairobi hotel, said the ministry needs partners like publishers to deliver the ICT vision.
He also allayed fears regarding the provision of laptops for Standard One pupils as spelt out by the Jubilee government, saying: “We have been doing pilot projects in a number of schools countrywide and have identified key challenges, which we feel can be surmounted.”
He added that the laptop pledge by Jubilee leaders did not come as a surprise to the ministry, as it has a number of similarities with the Government’s ICT blueprint. “It is gratifying to know that we now have goodwill from politicians,” he said.
He said focus should shift from provision of laptops to content generation. Temba added that apart from content, there are other issues to consider. “We are also looking at the issue of teacher preparation and the availability of electricity and other forms of power,” said Temba.
Ready to go
Lawrence Njagi, the chairman of Kenya Publishers Association who had organised the workshop, said publishers, as content providers, are ready for roll out. He urged the ministry to give publishers a feasible timeline to vet content. Meanwhile, private schools say the Jubilee regime should supply all pupils with free laptops. They said private primary school pupils deserve a share in the ambitious programme.
Speaking in Mombasa Wednesday during the Kenya Private Schools Association 16th Directors Annual general meeting, Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndoro said private institutions were negotiating with the Government to ensure the more than 2.5 million students in private schools have access to the free computers.
“We have already started negotiations with the Government to have learners in private schools access the free laptops as promised by the Government starting next year,” said Ndoro. And the association chairman Ernest Wangai said the Jubilee Government should incorporate private schools in its planning.
Regime change
“Right now, we don’t have a firm policy within the education sector because of the recent regime change. Once the technocrats work out the policies, I am sure that we would also be incorporated in the free laptops project,” said Wangai.
The Jubilee laptop pledge is estimated to cost the Government Sh150 billion in the next five years, according to Information and Communications PS Bitange Ndemo.
Despite the high cost, Ndemo said the project is feasible with better planning of government resources.
The private schools, at the same time, urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure he nominates “a performer” as the Education Cabinet Secretary “who understands issues in the education sector”.
