Within two weeks, the government of Kenya will begin the pilot phase of the free distribution of computers to the country’s primary schools. It was Joe Mucheru, the secretary to the Cabinet at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, who revealed it last weekend, at the opening of the Connected Summit 2016 which ends today in Diani , in Kwale County. 150 schools have been selected for this test phase during which nearly 10,000 devices will be distributed, says the Kenyan newspaper The Nation.
It is only after the pilot phase has proven successful that the full free distribution of computers to primary schools across the country will follow. 22,000 schools are targeted, for a total of 983,271 computers. The Nation, in its edition of January 7, 2016, had revealed the total amount of 17 billion shillings ($ 166 million) provided by the government for this introduction of digital to primary.
Students will not be the only ones to benefit from digital equipment. Teachers will also be provided with a computer or digital tablet to facilitate interaction with learners. More than 60,000 teachers have already been trained in the use of these devices, said Joe Mucheru.
Also as part of the digital learning program, the government has already handed over the digital educational content to be introduced into computers and tablets to the two consortia selected to supply these devices to schools. It is the consortium formed by Moi University and the company JP SA Couto, to which schools from 26 Counties have been entrusted, and the consortium formed by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the Positivo BGH company, in charge of schools in 21 Counties.
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