26 Feb 2019

Karakubis Primary School is now connected to the rest of the world, thanks to the Schools Computerisation and Connectivity programme.

The programme is offered by Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) through the Universal Access and Service fund (UASF), in partnership with Botswana Telecommunications Corporation a (BTC) and Hardpro (Pty) Ltd.

Consequently, 40 educational tablets connected to a  4G high speed internet connection that will not only be available to the school, but to the community of Karakubis at large, a printer, a server and a projector are on the school’s ICT inventory, alongside an air conditioning unit to cool the server.

Officiating at the launch of the project recently, Assistant Minister of Basic Education, Mr Thato Kwerepe observed that availing ICT in schools was like ploughing for centuries.

Mr Kwerepe hailed the initiative, saying it was addressing a critical step in transforming Botswana into a knowledge-based society.

He had previously noted that in his inaugural speech, President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi made a commitment to ‘promoting digitisation across both the public and private sectors, so as to ensure the availability of real time information in order to expedite decision-making and service delivery, as well as to grow the domestic ICT sector and create jobs, particularly for the youth”.  

This commitment, he said is anchored on the country’s digitisation aspirations, encapsulated in the National Broadband Strategy (NBS), which has a vision ‘to connect every citizen, business and community to a high-speed broadband infrastructure at appropriate quality of services and affordable prices’.

Mr Kwerepe reiterated that government’s goal was to ensure that every Motswana child had access to ICT, ‘as we say lore le ojwa le sale metsi’.

He said as Karakubis was now part of the global community, the village should lose the ‘rural’ tag. “Change the discourse ‘rural’ because you are connected to the world.”

He urged parents and guardians to make sure that the young people know how to operate the gargets for their own betterment.

Mr Kwerepe argued that the educational tablets and the connectivity would enable children to experience the world and they would bring the world to them.

“These modern communication tools and infrastructure will help these learners to determine their future, learn vocational skills and benefit from the collective knowledge that the world offers through the internet. I implore you to challenge these children to be proficient in the use of ICTs,” the Assistant minister emphasised.

He also encouraged beneficiaries to take good care of the equipment, which he said was a true example of a working Public Private Partnership.

“To all the other contractors and stakeholders, you equally deserve commendation for the success of the project,” he stated.

BOCRA board chairperson, Major General Bakwena Oitsile said the gesture marked a significant milestone in pursuit of ensuring access to broadband Internet for all communities in unserved and underserved areas of Botswana.

The project, General Oitsile said, contributed to the development of the education sector in the country, through providing Internet connectivity and computer equipment to government schools across the three regions of Mabutsane, Kgalagadi and Ghanzi, with 19 beneficiary villages in the Ghanzi District.

He said IT officers had to ensure that the gadgets were fully utilised by the youth and the respective communities.  

“We envisage that the communities exposed to these technologies will access internet based services envisaged under our National Broadband Strategy,” he stated.

He said the ministries of Transport and Communications; Basic Education as well as Local Government and Rural Development were critical partners to the success of the initiative.  

“To all teachers, please take time to include ICT in your teaching. It should become part and parcel of your everyday teaching aids,” he said.

BTC managing director, Mr Antony Masunga said ICT was the bedrock of today’s world, advancing that United Nations had declared iInternet a basic human right.

Charleshill Senior Assistant Council Secretary, Mr  Christopher Maramba expressed gratitude for the gesture, saying it would ease learning and improve the poor academic performance. ENDS