09 Mar 2016

Since the government introduced free international computer driving licence (ICDL) courses in libraries’.

Masunga Library attendant, Ms Onkabetse Mbulawa has showed dissatisfaction towards the turn up of residents in her community. In an interview recently, Ms Mbulawa said this year they have registered only eight clients within the community of Masunga.

She said the course takes only three months and has seven modules which include: concepts of information and communication technology, using the computer and managing files, word processing, spread sheets, using databases, presentation, web browsing and communication.

She added that among the seven modules one was required to pass at least four modules to acquire a certificate.
Ms Mbulawa further said they started offering ICDL courses in 2014, and that by then the turn up was poor, adding that the few that they had registered all dropped out.

She noted that no one received a certificate, and that in 2015 only one managed to complete her studies and was waiting her certificate.
Furthermore, Ms Mbulawa said this year they have eight clients all of whom were devoted and still taking their classes seriously.

She also said they made an effort to reach out to the community, but in vain though their course has no age limit and free. Ms Mbulawa further noted that although they were willing and inviting more people to use the opportunity, they were facing challenges to do with space.

She said their library space was limited and too crowded and that they have to share it with children and other members of the public.
She noted that having computer skills was an advantage in this era which requires computer literacy and an advantage for a valued job qualification.

She urged the community of Masunga and other surrounding areas to take the opportunity to up their skills.
For her part, one of Masunga’s ICDL short course tutors, Ms Caroline Willie said they wish to have more learners, especially since Masunga was a service centre with a high population in the North East District.

She said the other challenge was that some learners skip classes which leaves them behind schedule, adding that skipping lessons was a major concern as it may also result in drop-outs.
She further added that using a computer and doing research was not easy, and that one has to take classes in order to understand how to operate a computer.

She also said she realised that most people in Masunga were in the dark when it comes to computer skills and urged them to register, adding that it was better to make hay while the sun shines. Ends