Opinion: ICT a requirement for the growth of the Education sector in Uganda
Taking into account human capital theory, the only way to reach a long-term solution for the economic problems of a country’s population is to raise the educational level to promote economic growth. Competitiveness in international markets, automation of industrial and commercial processes and even the use of technology in agriculture, require technology skills in the workforce.
For all these reasons, the introduction of information and communication technology in Uganda’s education sector cannot wait until a country has reached some predetermined state of economic and educational development. ICT policies and strategies have to do with education and all other areas of activity that impact on quality of life.
They can be integrated into sectoral as well as broad national policies and strategies; for example Uganda may commit to introducing ICTs into all educational institutions in order to expand educational opportunities and increase the supply of ICT-literate graduates. The Ugandan government may extend internet access to rural clinics to improve the delivery of health services also.
As the use of the internet start expand in Uganda, a lot of specific issues emerge, for example, privacy and security, intellectual property rights and access to government information.
The ministry of ICT together with the ministry of Education and Sports have to come up with a policy that will emphasize the deployment of ICT in all institutions within the Country and even to the remotest corner of the country.
ICT has a tremendous potential to extend and augment quality in education. This will greatly enhance equitable access to knowledge and all other academic material.
It’s unlikely that many people would deny that the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) has contributed greatly to worldwide education; however, it is likely that many people would agree that there needs to be a substantive evolution in the implementation of these technologies at the field level with teachers, school authorities, students and parents.
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY
Education will become highly interactive, engaging the student every 20 seconds or so for a response, much in contrast to present-day passive lecture methods.
Education will become highly individualized, with world-accessible records of learning attempts by particular students, to enable computer presentation of education tailored for each student’s past learning experiences and styles.
Education will become highly flexible in interaction
Education will become highly accessible, opening opportunities for the disadvantaged in Uganda
Education will become highly computer-mediated
Distance education will begin to displace campus-based education because the high costs of an interactive computer-mediated course can be justified only through their use by a large number of students
I conclusion, talking about the requirement for ICT in education, I have raised a number of issues, all of them focused on the positive relationship between ICT and social and economic development as well as on the necessary relationship between ICT and learning and teaching.
