The Rwandan government plans to set up centres of excellence in all districts to improve the use of ICT at the primary and secondary education levels.

This is after the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning got a $7 million grant from South Korea to support use of technology in education by training teachers to use ICT.

All 60 centres will form part of a new ICT-based education programme that will involve 43,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools across the country as well as 446 district and sector education officers.

Officials said some of the constraints that are hindering the integration of technology in learning and teaching systems include lack of equipment, infrastructure and a skills shortage.

“The ICT in education programme is already being implemented, but it requires equipment and infrastructure,” said  Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Isaac Munyakazi.

Technology in education

Previous efforts to use technology in education mainly focused on learners through programmes such as “One Laptop Per Child” and “Smart Classroom,” which offer opportunities for teaching and learning by integrating technology using computers and specialised software.

However, education officials now say ICT use in learning cannot advance without empowering teachers.

“ICT use in education is impossible without properly trained teachers,” said Mr Munyakazi.  

According to a statement by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the ICT skills programme will be implemented in centers of excellence from this year to 2020, while education officials from the district and sector levels will monitor, guide and supervise all primary schools to use ICT in education.

Fredinand Hasingizwumukiza, a teacher at Ndera Secondary School in Kigali, said some schools already have the required equipment and were implementing smart learning programmes, but this was mainly done by a handful of instructors who teach computer science. He added that a few private schools were using ICT in education.

Mr Hasingizwumukiza said many teachers still use traditional methods because of lack of digital teaching materials and skills.

“It may take some time to fully implement ICT in education,” he said.

Connectivity challenges

Connectivity challenges are also impeding the use of ICT-based education. According to the Rwanda Education Board, only nine per cent or 531 schools in the country currently have access to the Internet. This has affected the roll-out of smart classes.

However, education ministry officials believe the teacher-centred programme will boost the learning experience as it targets the foundation of education.

Speaking at a ceremony where the grant was signed, South Korea’s ambassador to Rwanda, Kim Eung-Joong said it was common in South Korea to combine ICT and education and pupils have digital devices that have learning content.

“I hope that through this project Rwanda will soon get closer to ICT-based education,” he said.

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