Windhoek — The use of computers and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in schools is largely focused on what is commonly called ICT literacy. Actually, many schools presume that developing ICT skills is developing keyboarding skills, navigating computer's graphics user interface (GUI), using office applications and learning the basics of the operating system. This could not be far from the truth. The importance of ICTs in our world requires us to incorporate the use of computers in our activities.
In addition to mastering the above subjects, students also need to:
- master task automation
- troubleshooting
- basic programming
- online collaboration·
- online contributing, among others.
Studying these ICT topics and many more enable students to partake in innovation and drive productivity irrespective of the industry a student chooses.
What I am seeing in our society is ICT being put on a separate pedestal as other subjects. Schools that are fortunate to have computers keep the computers in computer labs far removed from the students' everyday activities. Instead computers should be linked to core educational practices and be used as a learning aid in subjects like mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics and others. It is important to understand that the greatest education equalizer in our schools can only be computers.
A student can be in a remotest village, but still have access to world class study materials through computers like a student attending a private school in the city.
All teachers should be able to apply computers in their lessons. Even though there might be a teacher for computer concepts such as programming, an English teacher should be able to enforce language concepts through the use of computers. A science teacher should be able to demonstrate experiments on computers that would otherwise be unavailable due to lack of science laboratories.
Students are already familiar with ICT usage. The use of cellphones that is widespread among students makes it easy for students to grasp the concepts of ICT. Students are ready to be ICT innovators and contributors to this exciting unraveling industry. They should be challenged and exposed to the technology available so that Namibia may realize her VISION 2030.
My strong belief is that extensive use of computers among students is required. Careful planning and budgeting will allocate enough computers for students throughout the country. Besides world-wide, there people who are willing to donate their almost new, perfectly working computers. Proper planning will enable Namibian children to benefit from these computers. The concept of SCHOOLNET should be re-visited. With computer allocation and usage among schools, results will improve tremendously. Education will be uniform as computers will provide most of the information/knowledge that will otherwise be inaccessible to smaller schools.
