Digital education: Government embarks on distribution of crucial ICT equipment

Dar es Salaam. The distribution of ICT equipment to schools, teacher training colleges and to quality administrators has started a real step that makes the whole process of putting the education sector in a digital system realistic, experts say.

The government recently through the ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced its intention to start a technological revolution in educational institutions and bring them into line with current digital aspirations as well as build resilience to disasters such as Covid-19.

When it was announced, some stakeholders believed that it would not be an easy task for the government to digitize the sector because of the cost associated with the venture even though they acknowledged that it was inevitable.

But yesterday Prof Adolf Mkenda, education docket minister, while launching the distribution of ICT equipment which is a continuation that had already begun as soon as President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office said they were determined to ensure a Tanzanian child learns no matter the surroundings.

In the event that brought together scores of education stakeholders and managers, Prof Mkenda said the launch was one of the practical implementations of the government’s commitment to invest and manage ICT use to stimulate the economy and keep pace with technological demands of the education sector.

“Today we are launching the distribution of ICT equipment for educational institutions including the offices of school quality controllers, ward education officers and secondary schools,” he said.

The equipment included 3,354 computers of which 1637 were laptops and 1,717 Desktop computers, 12 printing machines, 12 projectors and 12 internet switches which have been procured by the government and other education stakeholders.

Of those computers, Prof Mkenda said, laptops 1, 337 were based on the Covid-19 Recovery programme which is a project to improve Safety and curb Covid-19 Infections.

He said the computers would be distributed to Quality Assurance Officers and Ward Education Officers to improve their performance, while Computer Processes would help simplify operations; Information and Data Management…

He noted that another batch of equipment including 1,717 Desktop computers, 300 Laptops, 12 printing machines, 12 Projectors and 12 Internet Switches have been provided by the UK’s initiative ‘Digital Pipeline’ and will be distributed to Primary, Secondary and teacher training colleges.

It should be noted that prior to this incident the ministry had already distributed IT equipment; 1,120 Desktops, 413 laptops and 186 projectors in all 35 government teaching colleges.

These materials, according to Prof Mkenda, were distributed to help reduce the ratio of computer use for students from 28 students to one computer (28: 1) to two students per computer (2: 1) in colleges.

“The aim of the distribution of these materials is to ensure that the preparation of teachers is also modern and in line with the development of Science and Technology,” he said.

“I would like to call on other education stakeholders to support the government’s efforts in bringing about positive change, especially in the use of technology in our education,” he further noted.

An educational consultant based in Dar es Salaam, Dr Moses Rutehabwa argued that the government’s statements were now accompanied by actions, signaling better days ahead in the education sector.

“At first we doubted how we would succeed amidst many challenges, but now the government’s intention has begun to attract development partners’ trust and are now ready to contribute hugely...,” he told The Citizen by telephone.

However, Mr Anders Sjoberg, Sweden’s Ambassador to Tanzania and co-chair of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), said there was a need for the education ministry to conduct research to identify the most affected areas during the Covid-19 so that priority could be directed there.