Diana Wanjiku of Thunguma primary school in Nyeri using a laptop on June 13, 2013. PHOTO | FILE |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
I recently had the chance to interact with pupils and teachers
at a Rwandan primary school and saw how the one-laptop-per-child (OLPC)
initiative was transforming the learning process.
The
children in lower primary school and their teachers were equipped with
XO customised laptops designed to cater for learning in developing
countries.
In Rwanda, ICT is supported at all levels
in line with the government’s policy and allows integration of
technology in all institutions and at all levels.
Certain
non-governmental organisations are carrying out a similar mission of
institutionalising OLPC in Kenya and Intimigom Primary School in
Kilgoris is a beneficiary.
As thousands of Standard
One pupils wait for the government to fulfil its promise to provide free
laptops, those in Intimigom Primary School have been equipped with
e-readers and Kindles, courtesy of Worldreader, a non-profit
organisation whose professed mission is to bring digital books to every
child and their family with the aim of improving their lives.
Teachers
from three other schools in the area are also beneficiaries of the
e-reader technology and it is hoped that the project will expand.
According to Worldreader, the Kindles have improved the reading culture
among pupils.
One Kindle or e-reader can carry as many
as 300 books compressed as electronic or e-books. This means that
technology has helped to put whole libraries in the hands of children.
Many more books are available as downloadable documents in e-libraries
either on the web or in customised networks.
Worldreader
has over 6,000 educational books in 41 languages readily available for
students in 37 countries where it has operations. Properly implemented,
technology has the potential of transforming the learning environment
and promoting literacy.
Customised laptops and
e-readers can be useful learning tools for children if they are used
properly. Technology can help solve a number of problems.
LACK LEARNING RESOURCES
Many
public schools lack learning resources and most cannot even afford
well-stocked libraries to cope with the changing syllabus. It is now
possible to set up a mobile library of soft copy books that a child can
take home or read anywhere at their convenience.
E-books
solve most problems in the production and distribution of teaching and
learning materials. However, there are challenges to establishing ICT in
education.
These include infrastructure, technical
empowerment of teachers, cyber security, and the minimal conditions in
schools needed for technology to work. The solution lies in providing
well-equipped ICT incubation centres with up-to-date systems and
sufficient content.
To re-boot Kenya’s stalled laptop
programme, it would help to look beyond the political promises
surrounding the introduction of ICT in lower primary school.
Attention
should focus on finding ways to make the programme sustainable, the
customisation and maintenance of the gadgets, and the hurdles to the
success of the initiative.
Perhaps the focus of the
programme should be expanded to include other pupils in primary schools
if the State intends to extend ICT learning beyond Class One.
The Kilgoris and Rwanda projects have shown that this can be done and can help cement the dream of ICT in primary schools.
Mr Shahonya is an ICT specialist and a telecommunication engineer. (shahonya76@gmail.com)
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