Tanzania launches ICT training for 700 public Secondary Schools teachers

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzanian  government has launched Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training for 700 teachers from public secondary schools across the country, aimed at equipping them with skills to use and maintain ICT equipment to improve teaching and learning.

The training was launched on October 5 and is being coordinated by the Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF) in collaboration with the University of Dodoma (UDOM), Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the Open University of Tanzania (OUT).

The teachers are drawn from 26 regions of Mainland Tanzania and five regions of Zanzibar, with 100 of them being teachers with visual disabilities, in an effort to ensure that the use of technology is inclusive and provides equal opportunities for teachers.

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Speaking at the launch, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said the training would enable teachers to use ICT in preparing lessons and examinations, as well as teaching various subjects, particularly science and technology.

She said the teachers would also be trained to use ICT equipment and carry out basic maintenance, which would help ensure that equipment provided to schools is properly utilised while reducing maintenance costs.

Kairuki also emphasised the use of virtual laboratories in teaching science subjects, saying the technology would give students opportunities for practical learning while helping to reduce the costs associated with laboratory chemicals and equipment.