LOCAL Microsoft Education Partner Direct E-Learning
International on Wednesday launched a Microsoft Examination and Testing Centre
at Lusitania Primary School in Greendale, Harare.
This launch follows the Ministry of Primary and Secondary
Education’s partnership with the world’s largest operating system maker in
December last year.
Primary and Secondary education minister Professor Paul
Mavima said government is committed in promoting the ICT agenda in schools.
“However, we also acknowledge as a ministry that migrating
ICT enabled platforms is accompanied with some notable challenges which require
collaborative efforts with all our partners and other stakeholders. The
determination and focus of my ministry will however ensure that all barricades
to the ICT agenda for the education sector are resolved.
“Lusitania School and Direct E-Learning International have
proven here that it is possible,” he said.
He underscored the importance of adopting sustainable use of
ICTs in schools.
“Let’s therefore embrace safe and sustaninable ICTs into
teaching and learning,” he said.
He also said that that in line with the new curriculum, 21st
Century E learning is the way to go. “The Updated Competence Based Curriculum
being implemented by my Ministry emphasizes multi-literacy, multi-tasking,
life-long learning, and a competency based education for our learners with
greater focus on practical competences necessary for life, critical thinking,
problem solving, leadership, effective communication and team building skills,
21st Century Learning Environments and technologies act as a catalyst for an
inclusive and quality education that the government is committed to,” he said
adding that, “Technology has become a necessity in education. Preparing
students to use technology has in that regard become an unavoidable reality.”
Direct E-Learning International country representative Mr
Canaan Gatsi said every student from Grade Three has access to their devices.
“At this school, each and every child from Grade 3 has a
device. So we are looking at classroom devices. These are the classmate pieces
for every student laptops. Then the computer labs have conventional computer
PCs and a screen. So generally the computer lap is for ICT lessons. But in the
classroom it is for e-Learning where they do their Science, Shona, quizzes.
“There is a classroom management software on their
smartboards. They are broadband powered. They provide teachers control over
every device and send homework at home with those devices. So the teacher now
has control. Imagine the teacher in high heels moving across the classroom
assessing the child, its tasking.
“But with the smartboards, they can be controlled from the
teachers’ desks and its touch screen, it’s a powerful computer, it’s a white
board like the traditional one,” he said.
The devices also have access to broadband internet.
Lusitania headmaster Mr Daryl Oswald was elated to have the
latest e-Learning technology from Microsoft at their school.
“First of all I must say, as an educationist, as a teacher
by profession, very excited. In the classroom, we know what’s exciting, what’s
modern, what’s engaging to the children. To be effective teachers we want to
engage those children. We have a very modern generation of learners, there is
need to use ICT and focus on ICTs and in our opening of this centre, the gains
of this will be phenomenal. That is definitely the advantage,” he said.
During the tour of the school, the Minister was taken aback
when he was still of kindergarten school going age in the ECD classrooms
interacting with the pupils and their teachers.
When the pupils did their short tests of explaining the
functions of the tongue, ear and mouth on the smartboard, upon getting all the
answers correct, an air of jubilation engulfed the room sending the Minister,
the Portuguese Ambassador to Zimbabwe and other guests into bouts of laugher.
In some Grade 3 classes, pupils were doing the tests using
the smartboard exceptionally well.
