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

Tue Jul 9 15:40:08 EAT 2013

Hey Matunda,

Thanks for this needless to say that KPA is choosing to take a very safe
stance by asking more questions instead of providing leadership and
guidance.

Regards

Harry Hare

Director  |  African eDevelopment Resource Centre
PO Box 49475 00100 | Nairobi, Kenya
Tel +254 20 4041646  |  Cel +254 725 650044

From:  Matunda Nyanchama <mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com>
Reply-To:  Matunda Nyanchama <mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com>
Date:  Mon, 8 Jul 2013 05:37:34 -0700 (PDT)
To:  Cio_Magazine Hare <harry at africanedevelopment.org>
Cc:  KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject:  [kictanet] FYI - KPA PRESS RELEASE ON LAPTOP STANDARD ONE CHILD
PROGRAMME

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
Government¹s 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. TEACHER TRAINING
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
teachers¹ 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.
Publishers¹ 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
<http://www.aganoconsulting.com/> ; Twitter: nmatunda;
<http://twitter.com/#%21/nmatunda> Skype: okiambe
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