By IPS Correspondents
NAIROBI, Jun 2 2007 (IPS)

The role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in improving education throughout Africa has been in the spotlight over recent days at the e-Learning Africa Conference.

An annual event, the gathering was held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi this year (May 28-30), bringing together participants from across the globe.

E-learning – electronic learning – is proving useful in parts of the continent where there is a shortage of qualified teachers.

A case in point is Ethiopia. Just over half the teachers in this East African country are unqualified, prompting authorities to embark on e-learning in 2003, notes Demissew Bekele – head of ICT in the Ministry of Education.

Ethiopia has since invested in almost 16,700 monitors to screen lessons on various subjects to teachers who need assistance with giving instruction, and also to students. The monitors have been distributed to all 775 secondary schools; a similar initiative is expected for primary schools.

In neighbouring Kenya, e-learning is also underway, thanks to an e-schools pilot project that was first announced by the New Partnerships for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2003. NEPAD seeks to attract more aid and debt relief to the continent, and establish better terms of trade, through improving governance in African states.

Six secondary schools in Kenya have already been connected to the internet under the initiative, according to Mary Mmayi, country liaison officer for the project.

“We are still at the demonstration stage. After we learn to integrate ICT and learning, we will establish e-learning centres of excellence where those who are unable to access high school education can enrol,” she told IPS. There are plans to extend e-learning to 142 additional schools in the country.

Apart from Kenya, 15 other states are participating in the NEPAD project, which also seeks to provide teaching and learning materials as part of its benefits.

These success stories notwithstanding, there are a number of obstacles to overcome in making e-learning more widespread.

Certain teachers are apprehensive about electronic instruction, fearing that it may ultimately replace them.

“The fear of the unknown, that the technology will replace the teachers, has been a factor sometimes. But we have continued to tell the teachers that e-learning can never take their place. We have also produced teachers’ guides on e-learning,” said Bekele.

Others noted a lack of ICT skills amongst teachers, and pointed out that this could undermine the quality of e-learning in Africa.

“It is imperative for teacher training colleges to integrate ICT in their curriculum as a tool for teaching. Schools too must support continuous professional development for teachers so that they keep abreast of changing technologies,” said Edmond Were of the Kigali Institute of Education, in Rwanda’s capital.

Then there is the matter of expense.

“An e-school is all about connectivity to the internet (but) connectivity is a big problem because internet costs are high,” said Mmayi. Also, “Equipment is costly.”

Even when the equipment is in place and internet connections secured, there may not be electricity to go online: many schools, particularly in rural areas, lack power.

Authorities in Kenya maintain they are addressing this matter.

Education Minister George Saitoti said his department was working with the energy ministry on an electrification project that would provide all public schools in the country’s rural areas with power. “It is anticipated that by June 30th this year, 288 secondary schools…will be lighted up,” he told the conference.

For its part, Rwanda is looking to solar energy to supply schools with electricity. At present, “We can go for 24 hours without power, and most rural schools are not powered,” said Were.

The Central African country is also participating in the NEPAD e-schools project. In addition, it is trying to equip all students with ICT skills. Close to 2,000 public primary schools have been supplied with two computers each, while the 500 secondary schools have been supplied with ten computers each – to ensure that learners acquire basic computer skills.

Back in Kenya, a similar initiative was launched in 2004. The ICT Trust Fund, created through a partnership between the private and public sector, has distributed 362 computers to 27 schools and community learning centres, according to the website of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

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