Ministry has capacity to implement laptops’ project

By Kennedy Buhere

It is gratifying that the planned introduction of laptops in Primary Education has received the keenest interest from Kenyans compared to other policy initiatives that President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled during his inaugural address.

The laptop programme that Uhuru’s administration wants to introduce has the potential to change our education landscape. Integration of ICT in the teaching and learning in basic education has the power to dramatically transform both learning and teaching practices, while bridging classroom learning with the real world.

While some of the comments have questioned the Government’s capacity to establish and effectively integrate ICT teaching and learning, the comments have provided insights into the challenges and opportunities that this country must tackle and exploit to give quality education to our children.

The Ministry of Education has already laid out policy and legislative framework in Sessional Paper No. 14 in a radical policy document entitled, “Reforming Education and Training Sectors in Kenya”.

The Government observes in the document: “ICT is a major vehicle for teaching and learning from the earliest years. It is at a very young age that learners begin to acquire digital skills which they increasingly use to explore and exploit the world of information and to craft that into knowledge...”

The policy underscores the crucial role of ICT in the provision of quality education. The ministry has, under the Economic Stimulus Programme, continued to supply ICT equipment, content and training of teachers on ICT in teacher training colleges. In liaison with USAID (Kenya) and through the Teacher Education and Professional Development (TEPT) programme, the ministry has since 2007 enhanced the capacity of tutors through training and provision of ICT equipment.

The Ministry, in conjunction with stakeholders, developed and has been offering ICT as a service subject in Primary Teacher Training Colleges since 2004. All students graduating from TTCs have basic literacy skills in ICT.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (formerly KIE) has developed digital content that if rolled out, will radically change teaching and learning in this country for the better.

The jewel in the new administration’s policy on laptops has been that it has provided the much needed political will that will make it possible for the Ministry of Education to ensure that our teachers and children are able to integrate ICT in teaching and learning.

The training of the teaching workforce will not be as herculean as critics are saying. We already have teachers who have the necessary knowledge and skills to impart the education content. What is very critical is that Government recognises that an ICT literate workforce is the foundation on which Kenya can acquire the status of a knowledge economy by year 2030.

Let’s embrace the laptops’ project even as we grapple with other challenges that stand between us and provision of universal, quality, relevant education to all school going children.

Kennedy Buhere, Communications Officer, Ministry of Education}