Schools go digital

GASABO - Primary and secondary schools are to adopt a digitalised curriculum to enhance the memorability of learning materials. This was revealed Thursday by the Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Théoneste Mutsindashyaka, at his offices in Kacyiru. “Instead of re-inventing the wheel, we sent our advisor on ICT to India to bring us digitalised content of science subjects used in India since there is a sharp similarity with our curriculum. This will blend very well when incorporated with our one-child-one laptop plan,” said Mutsindashyaka. The initiative is a move away from traditional chalk and blackboard methodology towards using ICT in curriculum development and transmission to learners. “We are going to localise the digitalised content to our schools, it will take us some time to train personnel and lay the groundwork, but when it is done, it will progress fast,” he added. Integrating science and technology in the education sector is one of the priorities of the ministry and its donor partners. The ministry wants all students to use a laptop computer where learning materials will be passed on digitally through programs like Power Point presentations, E-learning and others. Open Learning Exchange, a Boston-based company, which produces computerised educational materials, is helping the ministry produce the digitalised content for primary and secondary schools. Ends