Ben Leshau
More than 2,000 school principals have received training on modern Information and Communications Technology.
The Global E-Schools and Communities Initiative rolled out the project dubbed Africa Digital Schools Initiative Program in Kenya, Tanzania and Ivory Coast in 2016.
The five-year project initially targeted to train 800 principals in
four counties, including Narok, Kiambu, Taita Taveta and Nyamira with each county allocated 200 slots.
According the project coordinator of the African Digital Schools Initiative John Napua, 2,000 teachers can now be able to create online content and pass the knowledge to students.
He said the knowledge enables teachers to effectively teach online during the Covid-19 period.
“During the Covid-19 season, ICT-equipped teachers have managed to teach through online classes. We believe this program has made a huge impact in the education sector,” said Napua.
He called on the national government to equip schools with laptops and tablets to assist students access the internet.
The project coordinator also called on the Ministry of Education,
the Mastercard foundation and the Global E-schools to extend the program by having ICT trained teachers pass the knowledge to other teachers who have not been trained.
Abosi Girls’ Secondary School principal Jane Kirui said poor communities cannot enjoy the benefits of the internet because they cannot afford mobile phones and computers.
She urged the government to help families that cannot afford such devices to acquire them. Kirui called on school heads to allow students to attend school
with smartphones for the sake of learning, saying schools in other countries had embraced technology.
The principal of Moi High School Naikarra John Kuyo said ICT should be considered the new norm in teaching.
