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Bulawayo Bureau
The programme to ensure all schools have solar power and internet connections has been making rapid progress in Matobo District, with 29 primary school now having had solar power installed by the Government, and 11 of them are already connected to the internet.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has a target of 1 500 schools a year getting the power and then using that to run an internet connection and ICT lab.
Fitting solar panels started in September this year targeting mainly schools not on the Zesa grid and situated in remote areas of the district, which has a low revenue base.
Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Edgar Moyo commissioned an ICT Lab at Tohwe Secondary School and handed over of 150 laptops to five schools in the district yesterday. Matobo district has a total of 82 primary schools and 30 secondary schools.
Tohwe Secondary School, Whitewater Primary, Headway Primary, Mbembeswana Primary as well as St Sebastian Secondary School received 30 laptops each.
Deputy Minister Moyo said the laptops were donated by President Mnangagwa who made the pledge in August this year.
The all-inclusive digital-based learning project that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services has embarked on is aimed at increasing accessibility to ICT-enabled educational resources for every child in schools, promote equality among learners and educators by having access to standardised content in a cost-effective way and to develop digital literacy skills and awareness among learners and educators
The project also seeks to leverage ICT capabilities, especially virtual platforms to combat the shortage of human and material resources, and empower communities and reduce the digital divide.
Speaking during an interview on the sidelines of the ceremony, Deputy Minister Moyo, who is also Matobo North legislator, said the idea which Government has always had is to digitalise all schools in the country, which it is now doing.
“We can’t remain manual when the whole world is going digital, so we realised that for us to roll out that programme we needed power in our schools and the electricity deficit necessitates that we have alternative power, especially going the green energy route as well.
“This is why we have now installed solar in 29 primary schools that are off the national power grid. This will also arrest the high teacher turnover in the district because power is vital,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
He said Government was committed to ensuring that children receive the best 21st-century compliant education.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is making strides to develop ICT competencies in both teachers and learners through the competence-based curriculum which seeks to address key issues such as the development of ICT literacy, application of ICT in learning areas and infusion of ICT across all learning areas,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
Online Reporter