Literacy campaign gets US$75000 boost

The Education Development Centre Inc (EDC), a US based organisation, has equipped the recording studio of Rwanda Education Board (REB) to build its capacity in recording audio-visual educational materials, to support improve the quality of education.

Friday, July 13, 2012
Kids learning computers provided by the One Laptop per Child Project. The New Times / File.

The Education Development Centre Inc (EDC), a US based organisation, has equipped the recording studio of Rwanda Education Board (REB) to build its capacity in recording audio-visual educational materials, to support improve the quality of education.The initiative is part of the USAID’s partnership with the Ministry of Education and Rwanda Education Board (REB) in promoting Literacy, Language and Learning (L3) in schools."We shall provide the hardware, software and the technical support needed to produce world-class education materials for Rwandan children,” said Said Yasin, the head of the organisation in an interview.The studio will be used to come up with or record audio and video programmes that will not only be used by teachers but also facilitate learning process.It will benefit public primary schools countrywide with each getting copies of recorded information to facilitate learning Kinyarwanda and English and Mathematics.  "We have already installed the state-of-the-art audio and video recording equipments that has cost about $ 75000 and soon we shall start recording these programmes,” said Evans Norma, L3 Senior Technical Director."We have different learners, there are those who understand so fast while others may be so good at picking when they see what they are being taught,” said Geoffrey Mutabazi, the Principal of Green Hills.He noted that this will promote the learning of English pointing out pronunciation of English as one of the challenges not only being faced by students but some teachers too."This is a modern teaching approach and in most cases, programmes are set in a way that enables or facilitate the flow of teaching,” he said.EDC officials said that for the next 5 years, the studio will produce video modules for teachers and mentors as well as produce literacy and numeracy programs in English and Kinyarwanda for children.