Learning for Life, Work and the Future Initial ... - Unesco-Unevoc

Page 74 Participants’ Papers Learning for Life, Work and the Future
22 NAICKER, Vinaykomar (Botswana): IT Skills of Educators
1. Introduction
Computers form a major part of the development of
mankind. The computer has enabled man to do
virtually the “impossible” − monitored space travel,
travel at the speed of light, space exploration, to name
but a few. Computers have become a time-saving
devise ensuring that everything from space travel to
washing of clothing is completed without much effort.
Yet it is frightening to see that the education system in
Africa is not taking computer literacy seriously.
A survey was carried out in schools in Gaborone:
primary schools, junior secondary schools, senior
secondary schools as well as a teacher colleges of
education.
2. Findings
• It has been found that at the community schools
only 3% of educators are computer literate. 2% of
these teachers are expatriates. The Ministry of
Education has trained the 1% of educators that are
computer literate with a five-day course that does
not necessarily constitute computer literacy, but
rather computer awareness.
• In the schools that the surveys were done, it was
gathered that no primary school pupil is exposed to
any computer skills. Teachers are also not computer
literate, due to the fact that they feel it does
not help with their daily job description.
• The administration of the schools is done manually.
50% of schools have two computers for administration
purposes. They were utilised by educators
to type out their tests. No classroom in any of the
schools where surveys were done was equipped
with a computer for enrichment or remedial work.
• In the junior secondary schools, it was found that
one in ten schools have computers. At the one
school visited, the government donated 20 computers.
It was gathered that the computers have been
at the school for four months but were not used as
part of the curriculum. Hence, there is wastage of
an important education tool. The syllabus that has
been put into place does not cover all the necessary
fields of study. It is a three-year syllabus that tends
to place lots of emphasis on clip-art. It is disappointing
to have learnt that a computer was
looked at as a section that needed to be completed
in Business Studies.
• The reason that the computers are not being used at
the school is due to the co-ordinator not being
thoroughly trained to conduct the necessary classes
in computer awareness. The co-ordinator has been
for a five-day course that has proved to be insufficient
in allowing the individual the ability to
develop confidence with the subject matter in order
to carry out the various classes.
• At senior secondary schools, pupils are introduced
to computer skills. It has been found that the
teachers have only basic computer skills themselves.
Computer laboratories do exist in the senior
secondary schools. This enables the average
student of a public school only three years of
exposure to the IT world. In comparison to students
in the USA or Europe who have almost 85%
contact with computers in their daily learning:
from reception to year twelve.
• It is pleasing to note that the private schools that
were visited have computer literacy as part of their
school curriculum. Students from reception are
exposed to computers, by means of games, integrated
studies using the computer, remedial as well
as enrichment programmes. Formal introduction to
computer program language forms part of the
syllabus.
• 78% of the educators at private schools are computer
literate. Workshops on the usage and implementation
of computers in classroom activities are
done on a continuous basis. A principal at one
private school stated that the ideal situation would
be where a few computers are found in each classroom
so that students have access to a computer at
all times. Students are encouraged to use a
computer and the Internet when doing project work.
3. Deductions
• It has been established that Information Technology
skills are sadly lacking at the community schools
around Gaborone.
• Even though the government has taken the plunge
to supply schools with computers, there seems to be
no system under which these computers are
distributed.
• Teacher training has been neglected in the IT field.
• Computer literacy does not form part of teacher
training at the colleges of education unless the
training is in connection to senior secondary
teaching.
• Teachers are not exposed to any computer programming
language that will enable them to be creative
in their teaching: either in the use of a computer as
an apparatus or tool to develop teaching resources;
as an apparatus to enhance teaching in the classroom;
to extract information from the Internet to
enrich subject matter.
• Many teachers are fearful of using the computer to
enhance their teaching methods.