Chronicle EditorBlessing Karubwa, Chronicle Reporter
Mzinyathini Secondary school has become the first school to have a digital learning platform in Umzingwane District.
The school is located in Matabeleland South province where some of the schools have recorded zero pass rates attributed to poor access to learning facilities.
Speaking at Mzinyathini Secondary School where he was launching an ICT platform, the Deputy Minister of Information Communication and Technology, Postal and Courier Services Dingumuzi Phuthi said the school’s e-learning platform is a fruition of Government’s goal to introduce smart learning to all learners regardless of where they live.
He said the platform is not only going to facilitate learning in the classroom but from anywhere too.
“Smart Education e-Learning is the application of modern ICT to not only facilitate learning in the classroom but virtually from any place and anytime. There can be no e-Learning without adequate resources and facilities such as this ICT Lab we have just commissioned,” said Deputy Minister Phuthi.
The deputy minister said the Covid-19 pandemic has shattered traditional teaching.
He said the past few years have seen rapid adoption of ICT driven by mobile and web-based technology.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of what we thought was rapid adoption of ICTs. Our schools have struggled to operate in the traditional way. The new normal demands that we not only adjust our approach to ICT but that we should also keep pace with our ever-changing environment,” he said.
A learner at the school, Silethemba Ncube (18), said she was happy with the new development as they had been learning in a crowded environment sharing few textbooks which their school had, hence defying Covid-19 regulations.
She said now the new platform allows them to download reading material to their mobile phones.
“We used to share a textbook, maybe five pupils will use one book and sometimes we’ll be given homework and you’ll have to share hence defying Covid-19 regulations by not observing social distancing. I am happy because now we can download our reading materials and read alone at our houses without having to be in groups,” she said.
Earlier this week, the Zimbabwe Academic and Research Network (ZARNet) set up an e-learning platform at Esigodini Agricultural College to boost smart agriculture in the country.
ZARNet has also connected more than 800 schools in remote parts of the country to the internet to promote e-learning after traditional teaching and learning processes were disturbed by the outbreak of Covid-19. — @ TichaKarubwa
Online Reporter