MUHANGA - the Ministry of Education has given 492 laptops to Ruli ADEPR Primary School in Muhanga District, in a bid to increase ICT penetration in rural schools.
The laptops were handed over by Caritas Kanizio, an official from the Ministry of Education.

The laptops were given to pupils between primary 4 to primary 6, as part of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme.

Nine of the laptops were given to the teaching staff.
Kanizio, who is also an IT expert, conducted a one week training session on how to use the computers.

She said that the ministry has plans to extend the OLPC programme to most schools in rural areas and some exemplary schools have already been identified in each district.

"The computers have software that will ease the teachers’ work. This will boost the education system and use of ICT at an early age,” she said.  

Kanizio urged the parents to encourage the children to take good care of the laptops.

The headmistress of Ruli, Emmanuella Mukanyabyenda, hailed the ministry for the donation, saying that the laptops will serve as replacement for note books and pupils will be able to get ICT skills.

"This is a very big boost to the school education programme. We have always wanted to introduce ICT in the classes but we couldn’t afford such expensive laptops”.
The laptops were handed over to the pupils, in the presence of their parents and guardians.

Most parents said that they hoped to also learn computer skills from their children.

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