ICT Integration in Zambian Primary and Secondary Education

In April, I attended a Young Leaders conference organized by Miracle Corners of the World, Zambia. The theme of the conference was “ICT integration in primary and secondary education in the East and Southern Africa region”. I was eager to participate in this conference because it is in line with what we are doing at Impact Network.  The participants in this conference came from Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The aim of the conference was to shed light on the challenges of ICT in East and Southern African countries and finding innovative solutions to these challenges. Professionals from various backgrounds, including teachers, the permanent secretary for the Zambia Ministry of Education, app developers and NGO managers worked together with the participants to identify how and where they can apply their knowledge to integrate ICT within primary and secondary education. Through group discussions and brainstorming, the team was able to identify the challenges and solutions of ICT integration in the education sector of Southern and Eastern Africa.  We concluded the conference with a visit to Chunga Primary school to learn how they are integrating ICT in their teaching and learning process.

Promise Makala at the Young Leaders Conference in Lusaka.

 The conference helped me strengthen my leadership skills and better understand different stakeholders who are working in the ICT sector.  I was also able to network with different people with unique skills and knowledge in ICT and eLearning. The integration of ICT in primary and secondary schools in Zambia has been gaining momentum in recent years. The government of Zambia has recognized the importance of ICT in education and has made efforts to promote its integration in schools. This includes providing some schools with computers, internet connectivity, and other resources to support the use of technology in the classroom. The aim is to improve the quality of education and prepare students for the digital age.

At Lenda Community School, grade 7 students use digital resources to learn more about types of pollination during a science lesson. 

Despite some improvement in the development of ICT, there are also some challenges such as lack of qualified teachers to teach ICT in schools, inadequate computers, inadequate computer laboratory space etc. This makes me appreciate what we have done as an organization in the area of eLearning. In 2013, Impact Network shifted its focus to deliver high-quality education with eschool 360 model which includes digital learning. We understand that pupils grasp concepts much better when they are able to see what they are learning, rather than just hearing theory.  It is for this reason that Impact Network has invested in eLearning which aims to increase learner motivation and makes learning fun with digital animations, explanations and activities to engage learners. We build the capacity of teachers to use modern teaching methods and technology through initial training and ongoing professional development. We have continuously supported our teachers through lesson observation and coaching to make them feel comfortable with the usage of tablets and projector when delivering lessons to our learners.

Grade 6 students at Kafunde Community School practice weaving and plaiting following guidance from a tablet-based resource. 

-Promise Makala, Head of Academics