Key Challenges and Gaps of the integration of ICT in Education in Uganda

Key Challenges and Gaps of the integration of ICT in Education in Uganda

The successful use and integration of ICT in Education depends on a number of critical factors such as government commitment to ICT in general and ICT in Education specifically, national ICT infrastructure, enabling policies and strategies and  practical actions by the government to promote ICT in development in general and specifically in education. There is also need for a holistic approach to ICT integration which goes beyond the technological dimension to include aspects of policy and planning, curriculum and content, teacher training, maintenance and technical support and continuous monitoring and evaluation. The government of Uganda has endeavored to ensure that all those critical issues of integration of ICT in education are well thought about. However I would like to point out that we still have to put much emphasis in issues to do with teacher training, maintenance and technical support and monitoring and evaluation. The government efforts of providing computers to secondary schools through the Uganda communication commission rural community Development Fund is undermined when the schools cannot maintain them because of the high maintenance costs and lack of technical support.

The challenges in acquiring, deploying and using ICT effectively to address education challenges of access to education, quality of teaching and learning, relevance of the curriculum and equity in access, can be broadly grouped into two categories:

1. Inadequate national ICT and electricity infrastructure especially in the rural areas:

The telecommunication network has spread away from the main cities but the   internet costs are still high making it difficult for schools and other educational institutions to access or afford internet access. However, the telecommunications infrastructure in the country is improving rapidly in capacity and reach. And while Uganda has recorded enormous growth in mobile subscriptions, education has not yet tapped into this technology to deliver services to especially rural communities who have remained underserved owing to the challenges of cost, electricity and connectivity. The limited electricity supply network also greatly hinders the deployment of ICT to schools especially in the semi-urban and rural areas.

2. Limited capacity throughout the system and especially at the ministry of education and sports: Lack of capacity at all levels to integrate and use ICT effectively has been cited as a major concern during the situational analysis. These capacity constraints include lack of coordination of ICT in education activities, limited information sharing, limited skills for integration of ICT in education, ineffective organizational structures at the various education management levels to accommodate ICT integration in teaching and learning, lack of incentives and schemes of service for ICT trained personnel to reduce attrition, and resource constraints.

Observation and Conclusions

1. Despite the challenges outlined above, it must be pointed out that the strong government commitment to using ICT to address educational and other national challenges presents a unique opportunity for the educational and training sector, under the leadership of the ministry of education and sports to exploit the potential of ICT.
2. Teacher Colleges and universities in Uganda, with their impressive infrastructure, are also offering ICT training for trainees. Teacher educators have received training in the use of ICT for teaching and learning but all accounts suggest that this training is focused on basic ICT skills. When the teachers get into schools then they cannot integrate ICT in the teaching and learning very well.
3. The ICT in Education policy should be linked to the national ICT policy and vice-verse. In turn, national ICT policies should be rooted in the countries overall development plan.
4. ICT use is more common in urban private schools, while in government schools it is mostly confined to secondary schools where there is limited teaching of basic ICT skills and no integration into the teaching and learning process. About half of the government registered secondary schools in Tanzania are in rural areas with poor communication infrastructure

ZIRABA ABDALLAH NDIFUNA

LECTURER OF ICT IN EDUCATION IN ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY IN UGANDA

aziraba@educ.mak.ac.ug