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Youth Interactive Correspondent
Before the advent of e-learning, music, arts and athletics were the main draw cards at pre schools but now tech games known as e-sports are taking over as an answer to the call by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to implement e-learning from infant level.
Dzidzo Inhaka E-learning, the pioneers of infant education competitions are set to resume e-sports tournaments next month when over 100 pupils from 15 ECD Centres battle it up during the inter pre schools computer skills competitions tournament to be staged next month at Mother Touch Junior school. The tournament is designed to create a platform to showcase digital skills of infant learners.
The second term will see the primary pupils also taking part with secondary students tussling during the third term.
The tournament which is being backed by E-learning and Computer Education Trust (ECET), which was last staged in 2019 because of Covid19, is being resumed under the theme “Turning computer education into an e-sport” with the express mission to gamify computer science education by turning it into an inclusive sport for the benefit of students form ECD up to ‘A’ Level.
In an interview, the founder and director of Dzidzo Inhaka, Shepherd Chimururi, said they are staging the competitions under the acronym CoSci E-sports in an effort to complement efforts of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to achieve the objectives of STEM based Education 5.0.
“CoSci E-sports simply means Computer Science E-sports. The purpose of computer e-Sports is to revolutionarize how computers and are taught and learnt in schools, accelerate the growth of e-learning in schools through incentive based learning.
“The previous tournaments we have held since 2017 have proved that e-sports trigger interest and motivate key stakeholders namely students teachers and parents. We are expecting a guest from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to grace the event so that they appreciate and help spread the e-sport..
“This is our innovative way to support the Ministry of Education with an e-sport that catches infant learners young. Students are doing computer lessons and accumulating a lot of knowledge as part of ICT as a subject but with these competitions we are creating a platform to showcase that knowledge in a sporting environment.
“We realised that both teachers and students are lacking the drive to push harder, but they prepare for the competition they have a big motivator.
“There are some schools that were reluctant to teach practical computer lessons but because of the introduction of this e-sport they are itching to join us and we are happy because at the end of the day the little learners will benefit creating a whole tech savvy generation that will challenge honours at the global stage,” he said.
Schools that have already confirmed participation include Kinderkastle Jnr, Canonbury Jnr, Bearisland Jnr, Kwality Jnr, Victory Heights Jnr, Southside View E-learning Centre, Marciskool Jnr, Emmanuel Jnr College, Mt Sunset College, Ebenezer Pre school, Thatcher Academy, Kids Connect Jnr, Minnieland pre school, Agape Pre school, Derbyshire Junior, Mother Touch Jnr and Lumangela Jnr that is travelling from Chirundu border post.
Each school is expected to enter participants in the Under 4, Under 5, Under 6 and Under 7 categories. A panel of 3 judges with vast experience in the fields of ICT and ECD will adjudicate the competition.
Judges will assess the child’s ability to follow instructions in executing the given task using a specific software application then go on to consider keyboard and mouse handling skills, speed and time of completing a task. Next term the same schools will feature in a league format.
Chimururi who has already been recognised with a lifetime achievement honorary award by Teen Choice Zimbabwe in recognition of his efforts of equipping young people with e-skills further added, “After the tournament we are going to introduce a national Computer Skills League whose goal is to promote computer science skills for all students around the country in a competitive atmosphere of a sporting discipline.
“In developed countries e-games are now a big industry that is creating jobs. Our students must be able to get scholarships like they do in other sporting discipline like soccer, swimming, rugby and arts.
“We are pushing hard to identify, groom and nurture ICT skilled students and teachers in promotion of quality education for their personal and professional development in the global village.
The participants will compete in activities that promote development of mouse and keyboard skills, fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, creativity and intellectual development.
The competition activities include painting, drawing, solving puzzles and memory games among others. Three winners from each category will be awarded medals with the best school getting a trophy.
There will also be honorary awards for the stakeholders who have been supportive of various e-learning initiatives in the country.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter