28 Nov 2017

Parents have been urged to embrace the use of technology in enhancing the process of imparting knowledge to children.

British Council country director, Ms Nobantu Kalake said the use of technology in the education system would assist in cultivating a reading culture in children.

Ms Kalake said this at the National Reading Challenge finals at Kudumatse recently.

The British Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic Education is currently piloting the programme at 10 primary schools to motivate students to embrace reading.

She said the reading challenge project was started in the United Kingdom with the aim to keep students busy during school holidays adding that its pilot project in Botswana covered three primary schools in 2009.

“The project was ultimately rolled out to seven other primary schools as it produced positive results,” she said.

The National Reading Challenge engaged students from 10 primary schools in poetry, quiz, spelling bee, debate and book summary.

She appealed to students to embrace the programme and cultivate a culture of reading.

Ms Kalake said it had been observed that students at lower level of education were less interested in reading, hence the need to take advantage of the advancing technology to cultivate a culture of reading among primary school children.

As such, Ms Kalake appealed to parents to encourage their children to make use of technological gadgets to enhance learning.

She noted that the British Council was also engaged in other project of connecting classrooms with Internet, which aimed at enhancing the use of technology by students at lower levels of education.

Meanwhile, the director of Basic Education for Central  District region, Mr Sonny Mooketsi said the use of modern technology would make reading fun. Mr Mooketsi said as witnessed by the improved culture of reading and overall results at primary schools piloting the programme, it would be worth it to rollout the challenge to other schools.

He said primary education was the foundation and moulding block towards a formidable education system.
Mr Mooketsi said reading challenge was an amazing project that cultivates a reading generation. “The project has profound facts to the learning environment as it enhances concentration, discipline and knowledge in children,” he said.

He added that reading challenge programme builds assertive and confident learners, improved communications skills among children, produces globally competitive students and certainly embraces reading culture.

In reference to the award ceremony, Mr Mooketsi said the rewards were a reflection of what the schools and individual students were capable of doing. “We are here to witness what education can do to an individual,” he added adding that the awards recognised exceptional performance and extra talent.

To the recipients, Mr Mooketsi said success came as a result of positive attitudes towards challenges and ultimately attaining desired goals.

Mr Mooketsi embraced the reading challenge as a tool to spice up the learning environment to eventually produce a child that would dwell well in a diverse society.

He said the newly established Ministry of Basic Education was still on transition and therefore the reading challenge programme was one tool that would facilitate achievement of set goals.

He therefore applauded the British Council for initiating the programme adding that the ministry could not on its own come up with such programmes more so that it was constrained by shortage of funds.

For her part, chief education officer for pre-primary and primary education for the region, Ms Rapelang Bogatsu emphasised the need for parents to acknowledge the positive results of the project.

Ms Bogatsu said technologically gadgets such as cellphones would assist students in accessing information that would motivate them to inculcate reading culture.

She said reading newspapers and any other positive writing would empower children in their learning process. BOPA