- The Government has rolled out smart boards and laptops to 21 Junior Secondary Schools under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project.
- PS Caroline Karugu has emphasised that the programme aims to make learners creators, not just consumers, of digital knowledge.
- Officials have linked the digital learning drive to Vision 2060 while stressing the need to teach learners safe and responsible internet use.
Kenya is stepping up efforts to prepare learners for the global digital economy by expanding the use of technology in classrooms and equipping schools with digital learning tools.
The Government is targeting a generation that can create, share and interact with knowledge through digital platforms rather than remain consumers of information, Principal Secretary for East African Community and ASALs & Regional Development Caroline Karugu has said.
Karugu said the digital learning programme was aimed at creating interactive classrooms where learners can access knowledge from beyond their immediate environment and engage with other learners globally. “Now we are tasking our children not only to be consumers of knowledge but really to be creators of this knowledge and to be able to share this knowledge across the globe,” she said.
The push is being implemented through the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP), with 21 Junior Secondary Schools receiving interactive smart boards and laptops. In Nyeri, 178 65-inch smart boards fitted with built-in microphones and speakers have been received, together with 178 laptops for teachers who have undergone ICT training.
Karugu said the technology would allow learners to collaborate with one another while accessing knowledge from different parts of the world. She cited the possibility of learners in Kenya interacting with pupils in countries such as the United States, saying such exchanges could expose them to different cultures and learning experiences.
“A child who is sitting here in Nyaribu Primary can interact with a child who sits somewhere in Massachusetts in the United States of America, be able to enjoy cross-cultural experiences, be able to enjoy each other’s learning and share knowledge,” she said.
The Government is linking the digital learning drive to its long-term development plans, with Karugu saying a digitally skilled population will be necessary as Kenya seeks to expand its participation in the global digital economy. She also linked the programme to Vision 2060, saying the long-term plan seeks to move Kenya towards a more advanced economy capable of interacting freely with global digital spaces.
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The initiative places teachers at the centre of the digital transition, with those receiving the laptops trained in ICT to support the use of technology in classrooms. Karugu said the transformation of classrooms through digital technology would give learners opportunities to access knowledge beyond the traditional classroom and develop the ability to create and share information using digital platforms. “A first world country interacts freely with the digital spaces across the world, and therefore this digital learning programme plugs straight in with the vision of Vision 2060,” she said.
Karugu said the digital learning programme should also equip learners with knowledge on how to use the internet safely and responsibly, amid growing access to digital platforms in schools. “As we equip our learners with digital skills, we must also sensitise them on the dangers of the internet and ensure they know how to stay safe and responsible in the digital space,” she said.
By Amos Kiarie
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