[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Wed Apr 10 13:28:38 EAT 2013

+1 Harry!

As you can see on literacy (*age 15 and over can read and write*) here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate , Kenya is
one of the leading countries in Africa but still a distant from getting it
to the best level.

There is no world map indicating IT literacy by country
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_literacy, we should support this move
by the new government so that come 2030, we shall be leading on this space.

We should begin now.

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 11:49 AM, Harry Hare
<harry at africanedevelopment.org>wrote:

> Hey Walu et al,
>
> I do not expect the President to have answers to your questions below. You
> know the workings in government, what has been made is a high level policy
> pronouncement now it will be unto the technocrats like yourself to craft a
> working strategy and plan for this to work.
>
> I expect that a team within the Ministry (may be include KIE and the ICT
> Integration Unit) will be set up to work on the detail of how to deliver
> this policy. And on your point "1", shouldn't we be targeting IT for
> Eduction and not IT education? Why would yu need an IT curriculum for class
> one?
>
> Kindest Regards
>
> Harry Hare
>
> Director  |  African eDevelopment Resource Centre
> PO Box 49475 00100 | Nairobi, Kenya
> Tel +254 20 4041646  |  Cel +254 725 650044
>
>
> From: Owino Jakakaeta <mpodhiambo at yahoo.com>
> Reply-To: Owino Jakakaeta <mpodhiambo at yahoo.com>
> Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:24:38 -0700 (PDT)
> To: Cio_Magazine Hare <harry at africanedevelopment.org>
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants
>
> 50 + 1 @ walu
>
> Owino Jakakaeta
> Life is too SHORT to eat Green BANANAS!
>
>
>   ------------------------------
> *From:* Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com>
> *To:* "mpodhiambo at yahoo.com" <mpodhiambo at yahoo.com>
> *Cc:* kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 9, 2013 10:40 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants
>
>
> @Yawe,
>
> I was on travel (not to SA :-) but caught up with our two new Principals.
> Great speeches. But if there's someone already in the new Presidents
> kitchen cabinet plse pass the following news.  Just drop the laptop
> business or at least modify it because of the following reasons.
>
> 1. Curriculum.
> Ok. So the kids have laptops next year. What to do with them? Play games,
> watch porn? In other words do we have an IT curriculum for these youngsters
> or we believe they will automatically become Bill Gates once we throw
> gadgets at them.?
>
> 2. IT Teachers.
> Assuming we cobble together some curriculum before next year. How soon can
> we get out primary teachers upto speed on the same? Do we have a ToT
> program in place. ToT= Training of Trainers for the non-academics.
>
> 3. Examinations.
> It is known that Kenyans learn ONLY when it is examinable. Indeed teachers
> make space in their timetables if they know the unit is examinable.
> Otherwise you can as well do your IT lessons at home as your hobby since
> the lesson will NOT be scheduled at the expense of say Mathematics which is
> examinable. So is the KNEC ready with this exam?
>
> 4. Security/Theft.
> If folks can still IEBC laptops from secure strongrooms, what about
> laptops hanging either in staffrooms or  on standard 1 pupils?  What about
> a poor parent who opts to trade in the laptop in favour of cash to use for
> other purposes? This is not far fetched since even the largely successful
> Wezesha Laptop initiative were University students got subsidized Laptops
> and quite a number sold them off at market price.
>
> 5. Maintenance\Disposal program.
> Usually laptops are rarely maintained. Just dump them after 3-4yrs. So we
> need to think efficient disposal mechanism for 1million+ gadgets across
> rural and urban Kenya. Worse still those Kids will now be in standard 4 and
> so our buget for laptops will double -both for Sdt1s and the Std4s.
>
> But I have a simple solution for our new digital President. Just traget
> Form1s and perharps forget Laptops and adopt Networked
> PCs. The ecosytem described above is more mature to take on this great
> idea. Our Primary schools will just drain this initiative with little
> returns to the taxpayer.
>
> walu.
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 7:56 AM AST (Arabian) robert yawe wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >I like the confirmation by the President - sworn and his deputy on the
> issue of laptops for class 1 students from next year, it is commendable and
> quite easily achievable but as ICT experts are laptops the ideal items or
> would low power touchscreen tablets be more practical and appropriate?
> However .com that the two principles are I suspect that they might not be
> up to speed on devices.
> >
> >Here again for the umpteenth time the opportunity for us to become
> relevant presents itself, shall we take action or sit back to carry out a
> forensic analysis when only 80% of the students get the devices?
> >
> >Regards
> >
> >PS.  A new dispensation, a new dedication and new vigor
> >
> >
> >
> >Robert Yawe
> >KAY System Technologies Ltd
> >Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> >P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> >Kenya
> >
> >
> >Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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-- 
Muthoni

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