3 000 schools connected to internet

Nkosilathi Sibanda, Sunday News Correspondent
MORE than 3 000 schools have been connected to the internet as the Government intensifies efforts to align the education system with the emerging digital trends through the adoption of online platforms, distance learning, and the use of open education centres as a measure of combating the spread of Covid-19.

The country has 9 625 primary and secondary schools. Internet connectivity was provided for 1 751 primary schools and 1 263 secondary education institutions, according to latest information from the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz).

The schools also received an assortment of digital equipment that include memory sticks, portable radios and mobile phone handsets.

The Government, since last year, has been on a drive to bring learners closer to digital platforms as physical teacher-learner interaction was abruptly stopped due to Covid-19. Television and radio programmes aired on national broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation have also been handy.

In a well-co-ordinated public-private programme, development agencies and key parastatals came on board to make sure pupils gain access to the digital world.

This was revealed in a report presented to the National Assembly by the Joint Portfolio Committee on Information Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services and Primary and Secondary Education. The report was an outline on how best the country’s schools can be equipped to provide online classes for learners during the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), Director General Dr Gift Machengete told the committee that in the past year, a great deal of work had been done to ensure that learners, both in rural and urban schools had access to basic digital platforms.

“In March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, 570 computers were distributed to 575 schools. The schools were also connected to the internet. A total of 60 rural schools benefited under the Connect a School Connect a Community Project where at each school, 80 students received laptops, 10 tutor laptops, students and tutor desks and chairs, two projectors and screens, power supplies and solar panels.

“ICT gadgets which included computers, printers, projectors and servers were also distributed under the E-Learning Project. Four thousand three hundred and thirty two (4 332) computers were distributed to 404 schools. In addition, 17 printers and three projectors were also distributed.”

He said Community Information Centres, which are dotted countrywide, have made it easy for learners to use computers and the internet, in particular in marginalised communities.

“The centres offer internet and other services such as printing, faxing and photocopying at subsidised rates. Students are also able to access e-learning content and submit their work through online channels where necessary,” he said.

In a show of commitment to have learners across the digital divide access education during the ongoing lockdown, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has concluded crafting short, medium and long-term strategies for the learners to access education during the lockdown period.

Schools are closed but only a few learners who can afford, have access to digital learning platforms. Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela told the committee that the Ministry availed an array of online learning source after receiving support from World Vision, Higher life Foundation, United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (Unesco) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

Digital tools at the reach of pupils include Profuturo digital education programme, Ruzivo platform and virtual library, learning passport and the Giga initiative.

Mrs Thabela said schools were encouraged to facilitate the use of other low cost platforms that include WhatsApp.

“Through partners such as Unicef and Campaign for Female Education (Camfed), the Ministry provided 3180 radios, memory sticks from Unicef and 20 000 MP3 players and memory cards from Camfed, 80 tablets to support poor learners in Mwenezi District donated by Plan International,” she said.

Mrs Thabela said to date, they have produced 2 100 radio lessons, but noted that they faced a hurdle in reaching outlying areas.

“2 100 radio lessons were produced and aired to date. The challenge is on bandwidth especially in border areas.

However, the main challenge is the cost of airing those radio lessons.

She said the platforms and radio lessons managed to meet the educational needs of more than three million learners, assisted some Grade 7 learners in attaining reasonable grades in the 2020 national examinations and facilitated mobile learning through texts, visual and audio.

The country’s mobile network operators were also roped in to bridge the digital divide.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Engineer Samuel Kundishora, who was also part of the presenters said mobile network operators and other players in the telecommunications sector were mobilised to develop digital platforms to enable learning to continue with classes in the wrath of the pandemic.

In responding to the recommendations presented to the joint committee, chairperson of the primary and secondary education portfolio committee, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga as the Ministry awaits ascension of the National E- Learning Strategy which is still under consideration by Cabinet, there a need to speed up the digital divide that exists in urban and rural schools.

“In particular I want to buttress the recommendation about the need for an indaba on the issue of digitalisation within the education sector. I say so, because the indaba would address a number of things. Firstly, it would highlight the problem that we are talking about, the challenges that we are facing right now in the country and globally and put at the centre how digitalisation has moved so fast that if we do not catch up, we are actually going to have our children not being part of the global community.

“Secondly, the indaba will address the issues around financing because fundamentally the problem that we are going to struggle with for a long time is how we resource the education sector so that it can respond,” she said.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 plague, schools have been hard hit, with learning promptly stopped. Cases of pupils and teachers contracting the virus were at one time on the rise, a situation that has put a strain on Government’s efforts to provide quality education in the midst of the pandemic.