‘Rural schools bear brunt of online learning technology’

Sukoluhle Ndlovu, Midlands Correspondent
LACK of information and communication technology in rural areas has widened the learning gap between rural and urban schools, traditional leaders in Midlands Province have said.

Midlands Provincial Chiefs Council leader Chief Zama Ngungumbane said rural students were lagging behind in their education due to a lack of access to online learning platforms.

“Students in rural areas are left behind in their education due to lack of information and communication technology which include internet, computers as well as smart phones. Very few schools in my area, if not none, have the resources to conduct online learning like other schools in urban areas. This has therefore resulted in pupils from rural schools being left behind,” he said.

Chief Gwesela of Zhombe also echoed the same sentiments, appealing for more rural schools to have computers and electricity to reduce the widening learning gap between rural and urban students.

“Online learning in my area is a mere dream as there are no resources to conduct learning. Most schools cannot afford to buy computers while some do not have electricity, so it can never be possible,” he said.

Chief Gwesela appealed to Government and developmental partners to assist schools with computers as well as connecting them to electricity so that children can also be part of online learning.

“We are therefore appealing to the Government and different stakeholders to assist by ensuring that there is electricity in rural schools and that they have access to information and communication technology so that our children are not left behind in their studies,” he said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in many schools adopting online learning as a way of reducing contact between students and teachers.