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June-July
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Volume 1, Issue 4
ICT
in Schools
There is an
increasing awareness by teachers and students in some high schools
in Addis Ababa about the need to acquire basic ICT education with
a view to having access to knowledge and coping with the advances
of information and communication technologies.
One way of gaining
ICT knowledge in Ethiopia could be the creation of a common forum
for both teachers and students. ICT clubs organized at schools through
concerted efforts of schools' management, teachers and students
with support from private ICT companies would be ideal for a for
the advancement of ICT in school communities in Ethiopia.
One such school
where ICT knowledge dissemination is gaining momentum through an
ICT club with the active participation of private ICT training centres
and the UNDP is Menilik II Secondary School here in Addis Ababa.
Ato Girma Mitiku, who has initiated the formation of the Club and
has played a key role in its organization upon his transfer from
Entoto Comprehensive and Vocational School, is its President.
The Club was
formed in September 2002 with few interested teachers and students
to raise awareness of the entire school community, provide basic
computer training to its teacher and student members, search for
all sorts of assistance to run the club and implement a networking
system for the school. Its membership has now grown to 160 with
an equal number of 80 for both teachers and students. Student members
were normally drawn from classes that were not taking ICT as a subject
of education. The Club is different from the regular computer education
and as such serves as a co-curricular activity. It is open to any
one interested to acquire ICT knowledge.
The Club has
5 PCs at its disposal that it obtained from the UNDP through a grant.
According to Ato Girma - CPU, Ethio-Technology Computer Centre,
National Computer and Information Centre, Information Technology
Solutions, Ethio-Computer & Vocational Training Centre, Africa
Beza College and the British Council Library had all volunteered
to train teachers in computer literacy and as trainers on basic
computers for teacher and student members. Among the training centres,
Ethio-Computer & Vocational Training Centre together with Africa
Beza College had given training to 40 teachers while the British
Council Library conducted a 12-hour demonstration on Internet operation
and CD-ROM application for 54 teacher trainees. The respective institutions
had given the training free of charge.
The trainers
are now voluntarily conducting the courses to teacher and student
members in the morning and afternoon shifts on Saturdays and Sundays
in basic computer applications such as Introduction to Computer
and MS DOS, Windows, Word, Excel and Access. It was learnt that
2 trainees are assigned to a computer and thus, 10 participate per
shift in the programme. Ato Girma further informed ICT Focus that
they were obliged to select members on a draw basis due to shortage
of PCs. This year, priority was given to 10th and 12th grade students
who were scheduled to take the National Examinations. The first
batch of the trainees are expected to graduate some time in June
2002.
All members
have access to the PCs. According to the President of the Club,
the student members broaden their scope of ICT knowledge while the
teacher members use their skills gained through training to process
documents to facilitate the teaching-learning process. All trainees
could use their skills to access to the Internet to acquire additional
knowledge and information. There are also about 40 CD-ROMs for material
preparations of all types of education
Ato Girma stated
that all of the members, including the trainers and trainees are
actively participating in the affairs of the Club with interest.
This full involvement of the members in the management of the Club
has contributed to the increase in membership, participation and
implementation of its plan of action.
The School's
Management has also accorded full cooperation for the Club by making
available a decent room with reasonable space, provision of accessories
and stationery items that enabled it to save membership fees, and
making contacts with the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation
(ETC) to install a line for Internet connection by allocating the
necessary budget. The Club is eagerly awaiting the installation
of the line to access to a wide range of educational information
for use and dissemination.
The Club is
also providing considerable assistance to other schools for the
formation of similar clubs through sharing its experience. Thus,
ICT clubs from senior secondary schools in Addis and other major
cities had come to the school to share experiences of the school.
It was learnt
from Ato Girma that the Club is also proposing the installation
of a Power Point Projector for CD-ROM Laboratory demonstration that
could be utilized by all Club members and students with the available
CD-ROMs. However, this initiation could not be put into effect due
to the excessive delay by the ETC to install the lines requested
by the School Administration.
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