Project to enable 300 schools access internet for learning
A school connectivity project targets to connect to the internet about 300 secondary schools countrywide in a bid to enable teachers and students access materials digitally.
The project is implemented by the African Child Projects, a Non-Governmental Organization in partnership with the Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF), Vodacom Tanzania and higher learning institutions, including the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT).
Ms Catherine Kimambo, Executive Director of the African Child Projects, said in the project’s first phase which started two months ago the project was eyeing to cover 300 schools.
So far, since the current phase started, it has reached 91 schools in 20 regions.
“In the first phase we covered 10 schools, and in the second phase we reached out to 50 schools. In this third phase we want to reach 300 schools,” Ms Kimambo said this week at a ceremony to honour DIT students who participated in the project as ICT officers.
Under the partnership, DIT has offered its11 students as technical personnel to install ICT systems in the schools.
“We managed to contribute to improved academic performance through connecting schools. After assessment, we realized that for schools that we have connected, the pass rate has increased by over three per cent in subjects like Kiswahili and Geography,” she said.
Prof Ezekiel Amri, DIT Acting Principal, told the students that currently the issue of ICT is key for development in Tanzania, considering that the country is gearing up to fourth industrial revolution which also relies on ICT.
“This project makes a good ICT Foundation among the youth in schools. It builds the base. I urge you to continue with this programme because it will help you have practical experiences even after graduating,” Prof Amri counseled.
One of the participating DIT students, Ayubu Gago, who serves as an ICT Officer, said through the project, students could access learning materials digitally to raise performance.
“We are happy that so far we have recorded success since there was a big response, the project has simplified presentation of content of subjects in 91 schools that we have reached so far,” Ayubu said.
