More laptops for tertiary institutions

 

TENDAI BHEBE     IN BULAWAYO 

 

Government  is set to distribute more laptops to  polytechnics, teachers colleges and industrial training centres  as it buttresses e-learning at tertiary institutions, Business Times can report.

The first batch of 600 laptops were distributed last month in schools across the country.

Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, and Technology Development, Raymore Machingura, said 600 more laptops will be delivered soon.

“The first batch of 600 of the 1 200 laptops bought by the Government to support e-learning at polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and industrial training centres countrywide were handed over at the beginning of the month (August). For the second consignment the order has been placed, we are waiting for delivery. We have plans to buy more,” Machingura said.

He said that through Education 5.0, the ministry was poised to deliver on its mandate to keep citizens abreast with global technological trends, particularly in the wake of Covid-19.

Machingura is confident that the national strategic intent enshrined in Vision 2030 and NDS1, will be achieved through an education system that develops capability beyond acquired knowledge.

The world has been put to test by Covid-19 and many economies realised that speeding on technology could help grow the economy.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Fanuel Tagwira, said the new normal is based on making sure that “we implement heritage education through education”.

“Education has radically changed in the way we teach, the way students learn has all changed overnight

“The ministry’s new normal is based on making sure that we implement heritage education through education 5.0 by bringing in issues of entrepreneurship, innovation and industrialisation in the way students are taught,” Tagwira said.

Tagwira said the ministry will roll out Edu 5.0 WiFi box throughout the country for learners to benefit.

“We will be putting it in the budget as this technology can enable students without the internet to access information and reading materials among other services. It needs just about US$50 000 to buy the equipment that is required for assembling and manufacturing more of the Edu 5.0 WiFi boxes locally,” he said.

Tagwira said once they have mass produced them, they will be availed to students from primary, secondary, higher and tertiary levels.

He said the ministry was working to change the way of learning to the standards required by the industry.

“We want to move away from the kind of education whereby you learn and when you graduate from the university you do not have the skills required out there in the industry.

“Our aim now is to say as you learn and acquire the skills, this will even assist students to be innovative and create their own employment instead of waiting to get employed.

“Be able to think outside the box, innovate and develop new products and services that have a positive impact and contribution to the country,” he said.

 

 

 

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