• ICTs and computer studies is now compulsory be it in the community, Government or private schools.
By CHRISTINE MWAABA –
The tentacles of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) have been extended to improving education in Zambia through changing the curriculum.
DR John Phiri, who oversaw the ICT role-out in schools at the time as education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Minister recently said “the Revised School Curriculum which would be implemented in four phases is in line with the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto on equal access to education.
Among other things the curriculum would also ensure, implementation of a comprehensive education system, improving quality and relevance of education, review of the trained teachers’ deployment and conditions of service as well as review the language of instruction policy.
In line with this approach is the desire by the ministry to improve the quality of education in Zambia to ensure that the Ministry contour’s with the fast growing pace of technology advancement.
The new curriculum is among other innovation that have been introduced due to the new areas of knowledge and skills such as performing, arts design as well as information and communication technology (ICT).
With these changes, it means teaching of ICTs and computer studies is now compulsory be it in the community, Government or private schools.
But the big question which remains unanswered after the implementation of the new curriculum is what measures has the Ministry put in place to ensure that they have successful instructive strategies of utilising ICTs for teaching and learning?
While the introduction of ICTs is welcome and being taught most schools, the teaching of ICT still remains a daunting assignment in the rural schools and community schools.
This is because, most rural and community schools country wide have no infrastructure or enought equipment to use for subjects like ICT’s and computer studies.
And yet pupils in these disadvantaged schools are required to write subjects like ICTs and computer studies.
Burma primary School Head Teacher Ms Angela Mukuma says the implementation of the new revised curriculum was implemented too early before teachers were trained for subjects like ICT as well as the procurement of the equipment.
Ms Mukuma expressed her concern that pupils will be examined for subjects like computer studies and ICT whilst the computers which are meant to be used for these subjects are not yet acquired.
“The pupils have only four months before the exams and the computers are not yet purchased. By the way at our school we only asked someone from the staff room if they can teach ICT and one gentleman volunteered and that is the same teacher we are using up to now to teach ICT at the school”.
This is one practical example among many challenges of the new-revised curriculum which has also drastically affected community schools.
Community schools are the last resort for many children who cannot afford private or Government schools in Zambia.
Because the children are enrolled for free in these schools.
Community schools also provide unmet demand for school places among the poor and other marginalized groups.
These schools are inexpensive, close to home and less demanding in entry requirements.
The number of registered community schools registered with the Zambia Community Schools Secretariat increased since 1996.
Zambia National Education coalition Executive Director Grace Manyunga says community schools are there to supplement government efforts in terms of educating children in the country.
She says the growth in the number of these schools continues and is another alternative path to accessing basic education on the part of children.
Ms Manyunga said Community schools are opened by a variety of groups who include nonprofit organisations, churches and even parents in a home.
And in most cases no credentials, training, or even resources are required of those who start up these community schools.
However, they is need for cooperates to help community school especially with the change of syllabus so that they too can be on the same level of learning ICT like their colleagues in Government schools.
“Most of the community schools are run by the community itself, hence the need for the cooperates, business companies to get involved so they can help them to move at the same pace with government and private school ”
She noted that though the curriculum has been implemented it is only examinable for the grade nine who have learnt ICT and business studies for the two years now,” she says.
Ms Manyunga added on to say ICT it is not examinable from 1 to 8 which means that the revised curriculum will not affect most of the community schools which do not go up to the seventh grade.
The quality of education in these schools might not be equal to Government and private schools due to lack of proper materials and training of teachers.
Mercy Banda a resident and grade 6 pupil at Fountain of Hope community school in Lusaka’s Mapepe Chilanga says the introduction of the curriculum has not been easy for them especially that they have not even physically laid their hands on a computers before.
“We do not have electricity in the first place at our school and secondly some of the pupils at our school have not seen a computer in their life because they are not privileged to have them at home.
So Ido not know how we will be writing examinations in case we are supposed to” she says.
Community schools offers one of the three options for pupils
learning from grade children grades 17 apart from private schools and Government schools.
It is for this reason that Private schools only accommodate a small percentage of children in Lusaka because of the high costs associated with school fees, uniforms and books.
Additionally, Community School teachers work on volunteer basis and receive little remuneration usually from community support.
The schools rarely have qualified teachers to teach which makes introduction of the ICT studies a hurdle that cannot be surpassed.
