1,050 schools to receive Sh1m for ICT for e-learning

By Augustine Oduor

About 1,050 schools that were selected to pilot the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme will in the next two weeks receive money towards purchase of equipment.

Education Secretary George Godia said the schools have already received training and Sh980 million has been set aside to roll out the project. He said each school would receive about Sh1 million.

"We want to fast track this project because we want ICT to be used as any other classroom tool by teachers to deliver quality lessons," he said.

Godia said use of computer in curriculum delivery promises better methods of content delivery besides expanding the teaching and learning resource base.

The official said the initiative is part of the initial plan of the Economic Stimulus Package that had planned to purchase about 300 refurbished computers per constituency.

"We simply reconfigured this with the Treasury not to only focus on supply of computers, but also how to enhance ICT at the school level. It is from this that we then agreed to select five schools per constituency to benefit from this programme," he said.

Godia added that each school would receive 11 computers, an LCD projector, printer, and a laptop for the teacher and accessories including the digital curriculum for the teachers.

Godia spoke yesterday at the Kenya Institute of Education during an education symposium under the theme: "Education, Training and Research for Kenya Vision 2030."

Short lifespan

He said several computers that were donated to schools by various organisations had a short lifespan and that they had outlived their usefulness.

He said the ministry is rooting for ICT to be taught in all schools to improve on quality, access and equity. "Also inbuilt in this initiative is the capacity building for the teachers. We want all teachers to be ICT compliant, because it is coming back to class to enhance learning," he said.

Lydia Nzomo, KIE director said with modern approaches to education requiring teachers to adopt ICT to enhance efficiency, schools can no longer ignore technology in implementation of the curriculum.

She noted that KIE was emphasising focus to digital teaching aids as well, adding success of an education system depends on collective ability to close the gap between technology’s mere presence and its effective integration into the curriculum.