Junior schools in Murang’a County have received 257 integrated smart boards under a government-led digital learning programme aimed at improving classroom instruction and expanding access to technology-based education.
The devices are expected to help teachers deliver lessons more effectively, enable learners to interact with digital content and strengthen the integration of technology into teaching across the county.
The programme was officially launched at Mumbi Primary and Junior School in Kahuro Sub-County, which has been identified as a champion school in the digital transformation initiative.
Speaking during the launch, Director of ICT in the Ministry of energy Lynn Nyongesa said the programme would improve access to information, promote collaboration among schools and enhance learning outcomes for pupils.
She said three teachers at Mumbi Primary and others Junior Schools had been trained to spearhead the initiative, including a trainer of trainers tasked with supporting its implementation and sustainability.
“We are confident that going forward, we will have this programme taking root and being showcased in all the other sub-counties,” said Nyongesa.
She said the initiative, sponsored by the World Bank in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT and the ICT Authority, was part of the government’s broader digital transformation agenda aimed at ensuring that no learner was left behind.
Kahuro Sub-County Curriculum Support Officer Patrick Ndisha, who represented the Sub-County Director of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), said about 153 teachers had undergone digital learning training in June.
He said the distribution of smart boards and laptops would enable teachers to apply the skills acquired during the training and incorporate digital content into classroom instruction.
However, Ndisha noted that inadequate digital equipment remained a major challenge in schools, calling for additional devices to enable more teachers and learners to benefit from the programme.
“Of course, there are challenges, because we do not have enough gadgets in the schools. We have already received some, but we still need more,” he said.
Mumbi Primary and Junior School headteacher Monica Ngure welcomed the initiative, saying the equipment would improve lesson delivery and provide learners with opportunities to engage with interactive educational content.
She said the school had previously received a laptop and a projector and had Wi-Fi connectivity to support the use of the newly installed smart board.
Ngure added that teachers had undergone training and were prepared to integrate the technology into their daily lessons.
However, she observed that the school’s growing enrolment meant one smart board would not adequately serve all learners, noting that the facility could initially benefit mainly Grade Nine pupils because of space limitations.
“In fact, we could just say it will help us for Grade Nine, because the others cannot fit where we have mounted it,” she said.
She appealed to the government to provide additional equipment in subsequent phases to ensure more learners benefit from digital instruction.
Ngure thanked the government for selecting the school as a champion institution, saying the equipment would create more opportunities for teachers and learners to embrace technology in education.
The distribution of the 257 integrated smart boards marks a step towards expanding digital learning in Murang’a junior schools, although school administrators say additional equipment and continued teacher training will be necessary to maximize the benefits of the investment.
by Bernard Munyao
