By Felix Wanderi
A charity organization registered in the United Kingdom through Thika Alumni Trust has embarked on equipping schools with E-learning Centers to help students be ICT integrated.
Harpal Punia being an Alumni of Chania Boys High School in Thika based in the UK together with his wife Liz Punia while speaking in Karuri High School during the official opening of an E-learning center which has been equipped with computers, projectors and WiFi said that their aim is to transform learning and teaching in schools.
“I am an Alumni of Chania Boys High school and am based in the UK and I decided to give back to the education sector where we started providing books chairs and laptops for schools and that is where we were approached by Karuri high school that we build for them an E learning centre which we have now delivered. Schools within Kiambu County and other counties have come on board and requested us to do the same for us,” said Punia.
Some of the computers installed with the E-lerning programme for Karuri High School.
Punia said that they have provided laptops, desk tops and a server that enables them to access data through government provided tablets.
He said that they are going on tour to schools around the country to help them on how to establish E learning centres by looking into the facilities that they have and also the ICT teaching structure they have.
“Schools want this and sometimes they do not have teachers who champion the course and this is the information that I need to take back to my trustees back in the UK so that we pick schools that we can help out,” said Punia.
He said that the trustees have engaged young members of their families to take up the course so that the E learning initiative can continue all through and help more schools in Kenya.
“We have five schools where we have done the big setup and we have done a lot of small schools where we help them acquire a server, laptops, desktops they can use. The big projects where they have had to set up a centre and equip it have cost us about Sh 2 million,” said Punia.
He said they are astounded by the response of the learners who want to spend more time in classes learning through computers which defines the hunger and need for E learning centre’s in schools
Joan Nyambura, a form four student in Karuri high school said that the ICT segment in their school has come with many benefits they are reaping from in terms of learning as they are able to relate more and it is exciting to learn.
“The IT project is exciting and we want to be more in class learning as we can be able to see and touch rather than the conventional ways of chalk and board,” said Nyambura.
Maxwell Kayesi a teacher said that through the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) teachers were Properly trained on how to use ICT in classrooms and through this partners came on board and partnered with the schools and equipped them with ICT gadgets to further the dream of having schools become a digital school of distinction..
“We have ultra-modern digital facilities and equipment in the school through partners and this will go a long way in helping our neighbouring schools to come and use the resource centre and will change the lives of learners,” said Kayesi.
The school Principal Njau Mbaka said that the school has introduced computer lessons once per every week for all classes and the learners have embraced and are yearning for more hours in the computer labs.
“Teachers who have not embraced computer lessons have become unpopular and that is why we introduced computer lessons in every class and learners are more concentrated and I know they will improve in their learning,’ said Njau.
Harpal Punia has also officially handed over the Muthiga High School E-learning center and has moved on to other schools within the country to set up E learning centers.
