Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA

Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in Africa: an overview
83
Box 2:
IRI in Zambia
In Zambia, IRI provides
access to education for
children who do not have
schools and teachers,
and who are increasingly
exposed to the impacts
of HIV/AIDS and poverty.
Through IRI, basic education
is being delivered
to out-of-school children,
in particular orphans and
other vulnerable children.
The programme is the
result of collaboration
between communities,
churches, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs),
the Ministry of Education’s
Educational Broadcast
Services (EBS), the Peace
Corps, and the Education
Development Center. The
radio programmes are developed
and broadcast by
EBS, which also develops
supplementary materials
such as mentor’s guides.
The Ministry of Education
is responsible for training
mentors, as well as for
supervision/monitoring at
participating learning centres.
The learning centre
venues, mentor(s) to facilitate
the radio broadcasts,
radio receivers, a blackboard,
and locally made
materials, are provided by
communities, churches,
schools (both government
and community), and
NGOs. Communities also
encourage out-of-school
children to attend the
learning centres. The EDC
has provided training to
EBS writers and producers,
and has helped EBS to develop
a training of trainers
course for Ministry of Education
resource centre staff
who then train mentors to
run the community-based
lear ning centres.
During 2000 and 2001,
EBS produced and broadcast
30-minute lessons for
grade one on a daily basis.
These lessons followed the
Zambian curriculum for
mathematics and English
and the learners were
guided in the process by
a facilitator. Lessons are
currently being developed
for grades two and three.
Each IRI programme also
incorporates skills in English
as a second language,
basic mathematical skills,
and a five-minute section
on life skill themes (hygiene,
nutrition, social values,
etc.) in an attempt to
strengthen the ability of the
community to support its
children. Early evaluations
suggest the programmes
are having positive effects
on learning.
Source: Bosch, Rhodes, &
Kariuki. (2002)
9. ICT in Primary and Secondary Education