Kenya is expanding the use of digital technology in public education through its Digital Smartboards Programme, with the initiative’s first phase now covering more than 10,000 Junior Schools nationwide.

Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary for Kenya’s State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, disclosed that 10,384 public Junior Schools across the country have been reached under the first phase. A total of 62,364 teachers have also received training across all 47 counties.

The programme was launched by Kenya’s Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, as part of efforts to strengthen the application of technology in education.

The government is expected to commence the second phase soon, with the next stage set to extend the programme to the remaining public Junior Schools.

Implementation of the initiative is being led by the ICT Authority in collaboration with Kenya’s Ministry of Education, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Participating schools are being equipped with smartboards and laptops, as well as digitised curriculum content and teacher training. The programme is designed to make classroom learning more interactive while giving teachers improved access to digital educational resources.

According to Tanui, the smartboards are also intended to expose learners to opportunities in creativity, innovation, digital skills and artificial intelligence.

The initiative is aimed at helping prepare learners for future employment opportunities as Kenya’s economy becomes increasingly digital.

Source: techafricanews