IT officers inducted in schools’ initiative

Kweneng region benefits from USAF for ICT training in schools

A new initiative offering specialised exposure and training in digital skills for learners in primary schools through the engagement of Information Technology (IT) officers, has been rolled out in the Kweneng district.

The 95 selected IT officers who have completed a training programme were revealed at the official launch of the induction workshop in Molepolole. The IT officers’ duties include carrying out computer maintenance operations and assisting with digital awareness lessons for the learners. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an integral part of modern life and is central to education and skills development so much that it is now considered compulsory in learning modules.

This is what motivated Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) and the Universal Access and Service

Fund (UASF) to collaborate to train 95 IT officers who will be placed in primary schools across the Kweneng district following installation of internet in the schools. Officiating at the workshop, Assistant Minster of Education and Skills Development, Nnaniki Makwinja, indicated that the initiative is a first of its kind and the hope is that it will be rolled-out to the rest of the country.

In 2019, Botswana unveiled plans to invest approximately P160 million, sourced from UASF, to connect 500 villages across the country to the internet, with the aim to improve connectivity in rural areas, most importantly, in schools.

Through the IT Fund, villages across Botswana with a population of at least 5, 000 people, receive a 4G signal as part of the SmartBots project run by BOCRA, which also manages UASF. Makwinja urged the selected IT officers to utilise this opportunity to gain practical experience and to also generously share their knowledge with the learners. “You all have a role to play in driving Botswana towards the goal of being a knowledge-based economy,” she said. She also implored the education leadership and other stakeholders in the area to support the IT officers so that their work can bear fruit. Kweneng regional Education director, Benson Rauwe lauded the initiative and also reiterated the importance of a highly skilled and trained ICT knowledgeable society.

Rauwe added that “young people should be at the fore of the transition to a knowledgebased nation and this requires key resources and training from trained personnel who can adequately impart knowledge.”

The USAF was established in 2014 for purposes of funding universal access in the communications sector, and to also achieve the objectives of availability, accessibility and affordability.