Wall-less classrooms within reach

 

Wendy Nyakurerwa-Matinde

 

DECADES ago, very few people could imagine a school lesson happening outside the confines of a classroom.

It was widely believed that only the traditional classroom, with a teacher in front, was the only conducive environment for pedagogy.

That was until 2019 when Cyclone Idai hit some parts in Manicaland and destroyed several schools.

For weeks, teachers had absolutely no way of reaching out to their learners.

Education paused for those weeks, and so did the progress for the learners because they had no access to e-learning.

Examinations still came that year.

 

The affected learners in Chimanimani and Chipinge still sat for the same paper that was used to assess their counterparts across the rest of the country.

However, this mishap was a wake-up call for Government.

It was clear that wholly relying on teaching and learning in the traditional teacher-learner face to face format was unsustainable in a world where a lot of things that happen are beyond our control.

But as the country was still smarting from the devastation of Cyclone Idai, Covid-19 came and this time around, schools were forced to close their doors indefinitely.

Once again, the education sector was on a pause and ultimately, at a measly pass rate of 24,8 percent for O-Level results for the year 2020 spoke of a crisis in the education sector.

Something just had to be done fast.

Fast forward to 2022 and Government has embarked on a programme to open computer labs at all schools and connect them to the Internet, as well as power them through either solar or electricity.

 

That way, alternative ways of teaching and learning are put in place to ensure that the education system is more resilient during disruptive situations like national disasters and global pandemics.

UNICEF’s Re-imagine Education and the UNICEF-ITU Giga initiative, among other programmes, have come in to complement Government efforts.

Zimbabwe is one of the 19 countries participating in Giga, a global initiative to connect 2,8 million schools — including all schools in Zimbabwe — to the Internet by 2030.

So far, Government has donated computers to five high schools in Chipinge District alone, including Marirangwe, Chipinge, Gideon Mhlanga, Rimbi and Mutema high schools.

Primary schools have not been left behind.

Speaking after commissioning a computer lab at Dzvairo Primary School in Makoni District on Monday, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Dr JenfanMuswere said learners in rural areas should have access to the same opportunities as their urban counterparts.

The ICT Ministry, through the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), handed over 30 laptops to Dzvairo Primary School, while UNICEF also handed over a solar system to the learning institution.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Tumisang Thabela said the programme comes at the opportune time as it guarantees uninterrupted learning in rural and marginalised schools.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education estimates that up to 4,5 million learners were impacted by the Covid-19 disruption between 2020 and 2021.

“Traditionally, we had one way of teaching, that is teacher-learner face to face interaction. All along there were no disruptions to learning until Cyclone Idai hit Manicaland Province and some schools were forced to shut their doors. Learning came to a screeching halt at the expense of the students,” she said.

She went on to highlight the disparities that exist in the country’s education system.

“There are situations that have forced Zimbabwean students to move to online learning. Unfortunately, e-learning comes at a high cost, both in terms of the infrastructure, the gadgets and the data.

“Many communities in rural Zimbabwe also have little or no access to electricity, smartphones, internet access and data. In addition to this, only 30 percent of our learners have access to online platforms.

“This is why Government is rolling out this programme which reassures us that education can continue even if the school gates are closed, e-learning is not limited by geography,” she said.

Speaking at the same event, UNICEF Deputy Representative, Ms Zeinab Adam said the transformation of education to make it more accessible, flexible, inclusive and innovative in reaching all students is in line with President Mnangagwa’s promises during the UN Secretary General’s Transforming Education Summit in New York.

“There is an urgent need to connect all schools to power and the internet so that the students can have a wide range of digital learning options. This is the only way to equalise education for children across the world, especially for those in marginalised, hard-to-reach areas,” said Ms Adam.

She expressed optimism that following Dzairo Primary School’s connection to the solar system and the Internet, the performance of the students will improve.

The school’s pass-rate for the 2022 recently released Grade Seven results is 72 percent.

Headmistress, Ms Tendai Takaendesa is confident that her learners will now be able to conduct their research online, results will be even more impressive.

 

“We really appreciate the efforts being made by Government and UNICEF in connecting rural schools to the Internet. We have been craving digital teaching and learning for a long time and this is a dream come true for us. This will ensure continuous learning, even when learners are at home,” said Ms Takaendesa.

A teacher, Ms Bulliana Salombe could not hide her excitement.

“Computers that are connected to the internet will definitely make our work much easier as the learners can also conduct their own research online. The solarisation of the school will also help in retaining staff,” she said.

Mrs Maud Maingano, whose grandchild is a learner at Dzvairo Primary School, said rural learners will now have access to the same opportunities as their urban counterparts.

“We are very grateful to Government for remembering our local school. Everything is now digital and therefore our children need to understand computers from a young age,” she said.

The school’s vice head girl, Chiedza Kasambiro was ecstatic and said not even the sky will be the limit for her considering that the digital devices will give her access to countless e-books.

The connection of rural schools to solar systems and the Internet is in line with Government’s commitment of leaving no one and no place behind.