43000 Teachers in Rwanda to Acquire ICT Skills

One way of eliminating poverty, improving the health of communities and creating sustainable development projects, is through education.

The government of Rwanda and the Republic of Korea has signed a financing agreement aimed at supporting IT development in schools.

The $7 million deal named Capacity Development for ICT in Education (CADIE), is a three-year (2017-2020) project aimed at equipping 43000 primary and secondary school teachers with ICT skills in all the districts of the country.

The use of information, communication and technology (ICT) in education advances social and economic transformation in the society.

Speaking after the signing, Claver Gatete the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said the power of ICT in delivering education is limitless.

He praised the government’s efforts to invest in developing structures to integrate ICT in education plans and avail ICT equipment and resources into schools.

Now, “the challenge is how to enable teachers not only to overcome the technology barriers but also to empower them to integrate appropriate technology into the teaching and learning processes” he added.

According to Kim Eung-joong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, education drives the economy of a country. He said giving an example of how his country was able to make rapid and remarkable economic progress after the war due to education.

“In particular, the use of ICT has been regarded as a key driving force behind Korea’s educational development,” said Mr. Eung-joong.

Korea has for the longest time valued and invested in human capital, even in the dire circumstances of the Korean War. The government and families continued educating children and the attitude has strengthened in the last 40 years. Today, emphases have shifted from the elementary to secondary, and to tertiary education. Moreover, Korea’s goal of using ICT in education is “bringing intelligent educational technology transformation.”

In a 2011 study, Korean students topped in an international digital reading assessment that attempted to assess how well 15 year old students use computers and the Internet to learn.

For Rwanda, collaborating with Korea promises a bright future of its students and a well-educated human capital.

The project will be implemented by the Rwanda Education Board. In addition to building the capacity of 43000 teachers it will also empower 446 district and sector education officers regarding using ICT in education.