The Sunday Mail
Tawanda Musarurwa
Zimbabwe has adopted a catch-them-young approach in its goal of achieving an information society, targeting schools across the country with its digitalisation programme.
ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said the initiative was being supported by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“We, therefore, recognise the need for a multi stakeholder approach to the provision of e-learning at all our schools and institutions of learning.
“To this end Government has gone into a collaborative partnership with the ITU, UNICEF, and the ministry of education to implement a schools’ connectivity project codenamed the GIGA project.
“The project is targeted at connecting every school in Zimbabwe to the internet and every child to information, opportunity and choice.”
The Minister’s remarks come as Zimbabwe joins the rest of the globe in commemorating World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
With the Covid-19 pandemic reshaping various aspects of society, not least information dissemination, there is now greater use of online platforms for communication and information dissemination.
To this extent, the need for economies to pursue a digital transformation agenda has become ever more vital.
“The digital economy is stated as one of the fourteen national priorities underpinning this strategy for the period 2021 – 2025, as we thrive to become an Upper-Middle Income society by 2030,” said Minister Muswere.
“My Ministry will continue to play a crucial role in this transformation agenda by ensuring that digital technology facilitates the success of the NDS1’s key interconnected pillars that are aimed at achieving sustainable economic development namely, macroeconomic stability, financial re-engagement, inclusive growth, governance, social development, infrastructure and utilities.”
Besides the GIGA programme, there are also a number of other ongoing initiatives to promote digitalisation in schools.
For instance, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) is paying for bandwidth for 400 schools across the country between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
The ICT Minister said there is need for more such measures, but implemented on a sustainable basis.
“While this gesture should be applauded, I call upon the regulator and network operators to look for a sustainable solution to the affordability challenge bedeviling our schools, in particular rural schools. For our schools, as is the case elsewhere in our daily lives, connectivity without affordability is futile.”
