[kictanet] On Education and Technology

[Matunda Nyanchama]

Friends,

I am glad to hear that KIE has plans of taking advantage of technology to deliver education to Kenya kids. I am pleased.

Question: do we really believe that we would have better education results because of technology? My view is that any improvements (all things constant) with use of technology would be incremental.

There are too many things wrong with the Kenyan education system; things that can be fixed with a clear sober assessment of why we are where we are. 

Education needs to be grounded in what ought to be "Kenyan national values and objectives"; it needs to focus on national priorities and help create a better, productive citizen than just passing examinations. It needs to appreciated the role of women in society, complete with values of equity, especially with respect to access. Indeed, we need to appreciate the key role that gender plays in the national well-being. 

Kenya's education promises kids jobs at the end of their schooling; but we know that the economy doesn't have the capacity to absorb even the "few" that make it through the system, passing through the examination filters; let alone the many that don't make it through grade 8, 12 and even university. 

We should instead be entrenching a business culture and risk-taking, and create an environment that nurtures such risk taking and in the process realize goods and services, and hence employment.

The Kenyan environment (wrought by greed and corruption) isn't supportive of entrenchment of good national values. For example, what values do we pass to our kids when they watch big men steal money meant for kids' education? What of the fact that teachers, rather than do their jobs, would rather be at the shambas, dukas, matatus, etc. at the expense of doing their work. 

Contrast today's teacher and those of yesteryear, men and women that would be found in class at 6:00 AM helping kids; and even stay in evening preps to offer extra coaching for those that needed it. Today, ....

I don't want to put a  damper on the matter of technology and benefits thereof to delivery of education. We just need to place it in perspective. Technology is just one mode of delivery. If the environment, content, values, etc are not right, technology cannot right it.

Some of my these views are reflected in this article.

Kind regards
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Matunda Nyanchama, mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com
Agano Consulting Inc.;  www.aganoconsulting.com
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“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”- George Bernard Shaw 
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