The government on Monday launched a nationwide campaign to train over 12,000 head teachers and teachers, which will see them equipped with skills, resources and the requisite technology to create a supportive learning environment for both teachers and their students. This technology-enabled school management and teaching programme, which has been under pilot, will now benefit over 500 public schools from all districts in the country. It will be rolled out at the beginning of the new academic year in September. ALSO READ Over 500 primary schools adopt digital approach to improve learning The initiative dubbed Rwanda Education Quality Improvement Programme has an overall mandate of making the country's basic education system globally competitive. After the training, the teachers will be equipped with tablets fitted with digital lesson guides and all necessary educational tools including songs, and other entertaining methods of academic delivery, which they will then use in their classrooms. The gadgets will also help head teachers easily keep and track data to inform decisions, among other expected outcomes, including the creation of an inclusive and engaging learning environment that will help children reach their full potential. This timely initiative will significantly contribute towards the government ambition of creating a knowledge-based economy, where the country will rely on human capital to create wealth. ALSO READ: More effort needed to scale up ICT in education – Ministry of Education However, in implementing such initiatives, we also need to look at other programmes like the One Laptop Per Child Programme (OLPC), look at some of the challenges faced to make this one deliver better results. ALSO READ: Fifty schools in Rwanda now use Starlink internet – ICT Ministry For instance, while OLPC gadgets were widely put to use, there are a few examples where the laptops were distributed and beneficiary schools would keep them in stores, only to get them out when they had visitors, which was against the spirit of the initiative. The good news is that much preparation went into this one, with a successful trial run that preceded this grand-scale roll out. This ample preparation must therefore match the result. It is now up to the teachers and school heads to optimize the equipment to make sure it trickles down to the pupil in the remotest part of the country. They must use them to research and always look out for best practices elsewhere to broaden their knowledge and improve their academic delivery. Finally, parents must also be supportive. We need to depart from the traditional way of academic delivery and embrace the new tools that create an environment where fun meets content to impart knowledge to our children.
