[kictanet] FYI - KPA PRESS RELEASE ON LAPTOP STANDARD ONE CHILD PROGRAMME

Mon Jul 8 15:37:34 EAT 2013

FYI
--------------------------

July 8th, 2013

PRESS
RELEASE ON LAPTOP STANDARD ONE CHILD PROGRAMME

RE: ONE LAPTOP PER-STANDARD ONE
CHILD PROGRAMME

We in
the publishing industry in Kenya recognise our central role as key players in
the production of educational materials – such as digital content, text books and other related teaching aids – for
use in all schools in the delivery and implementation of the requisite school
curriculum. We further recognise and appreciate the role of the Ministry of
Education – and its specialised arms like the Kenya Institute of Curriculum
Development (KICD) – in policy formulation and provision of the supportive
legislation framework aimed at enhancing Public-Private partnership in the
administration and service of the education sector.  

Kenya
Publishers Association (KPA), is a reliable partner in education. More
importantly, we are always prepared to make the necessary sacrifices and
investment enhancements in terms of finance, time, personnel and technology in
order to assist the government deliver on its mandate in the education sector. This,
we have done many times even at the shortest of time. 

In
this regard, KPA suggest for the successful implementation of the Government’s
one laptop per-child project from January 2014 in all Kenyan public schools a
number of recommendations with the mutual aim of ensuring successful
implementation of the project and surmounting the challenges experienced in
other countries that have attempted to implement a similar programme:  

1.
TEACHERTRAINING
For the laptop
project to be successful there will be need for teacher training on how to use
the devices. Publishers are ready and willing to use our pool of industry
expertise to collaborate with the MoE to offer the requisite teacher training –
as they have done over the years by conducting teachers’ seminars and workshop
on effective ways of using the Instructional Materials we publish in curriculum
implementation.  
2.
WHAT GADGET WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE PROGRAMME?

The gadget that the MoE purchases has
to take into consideration various factors such as: 
a)      Effectiveness to user; 
b)     Ease of local availability
c)      Price affordability
d)     Training availability
e)      Simplicity of software
update
f)       Convenience of infrastructural
factors like power
g)     Ragged enough for the
level of student using it (durability)
h)     Affordability of software
being used
i)        Internet-enabled?
j)        CD Rom-compatibility
k)      Flash disc applicability, etc 

All these factors and more need
to be considered. KPA suggests that the MoE carefully considers the basic two
factors below:
·         Policy:
MOE policy should guide on the gadget to be used.
·         Procurement:Purchasing and sustainability of the programme. Publishers’ content would
greatly determine what gadget the MoE would purchase.

3.      PILOTING 

The
MoE needs to sufficiently prepare and pretest with a pilot project and if a
pilot test has been done KPA would appreciate to see the outcome to find ways
that it can serve the MoE laptop project better. KPA is ready to be part of the
testing and piloting if none has been done in the spirit of public-private partnership.
4.      PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS
The
most vibrant education systems that deliver results have one common element: a strong public-private sector alliance that allows the private sector to invest in education services and products
(including text books, reference materials, digital and educational solutions
in general) and leaves the government to play the facilitative role of policy
formulation and crafting of the enabling legislative framework.  The government should not waste time and
resources in areas where the private sector can make the greatest contribution.
For the laptop programme to be effective it has to be wholly inclusive and
relevant personnel in both Ministries of Education and ICT should be ready to
be engaged and share information with publishers and other stakeholders; for
the best way forward.
Publishers
contribute about 98% of all curriculum support materials that are used in our
education institutions today. As we speak, KPA members have sufficient digital
curriculum support materials, adequate for the roll out of the lap top project.
However, we believe that the government would have been better advised to roll
out a more structured and all inclusive ICT platform in primary and secondary
schools, probably at the same or cheaper cost. Never the less, we are ready to
support the MOE in provision of relevant, vetted digital content. 

5.      KICD
ROLE IN PUBLISHING:
There
has been several mentions of KICD providing digital content. We have held
several meetings with the KICD director who has assured us that KICD has no
interest or will to publish digital content for the laptop project. We have
also been assured by the Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kaimenyi that digital content
will be provided by the publishers.  KPA recommends
that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should limit its
operations to its mandate of Curriculum
Design; Curriculum Review; Publication of Curriculum Materials like the
syllabi; Vetting and Approval of Instructional Materials to be used in schools. The function of the KICD as a provider of ancillary information must be
clearly delinked from mainstream publishing of curriculum support materials,
may they be print or digital.

6.      CAPITATIONS:
KPA
recommends to the MoE a review of the current text book capitation so that the
digital content for the lap top programme is not absorbed in the text book
capitation.  KPA recommends a different
capitation for the digital content. Emphasis though should be laid on the fact
that the digital content will act as supplementary material for the text books;
and not an outright replacement of the text books. We also recommend speedy
creation of ICT infrastructure within the country to enable effective
implementation of this project.
Publishers
look forward to working with all stakeholders to achieve our mutual goal of
producing ICT savvy citizens who will operationalize vision 2030  and drive this country to its destination of
middle-level industrialization by the year 2030.
Finally we are
asking for a speedy solution to the current stalemate between TSC and
KNUT.  The effects of this strike on the
ground are grave. The public school students may not be able to finish the
curriculum as set, which will translate to widening the gap and the in equality
between private schools and public schools performance in national examinations.
We hope that this issue will be amicably resolved in the shortest of time.

Yours
Sincerely

LAWRENCE
NJAGI
CHAIRMAN
KENYA
PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

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Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com
Agano Consulting Inc.;  www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda;  Skype: okiambe
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