MUBENDE: School founders and parents in the Mubende district have slammed the education ministry’s plan to allow students to use mobile phones in schools.
The Ministry of Education says the use of laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other ICT devices will be allowed in primary and secondary schools and be controlled by the school authorities.
The change policy was announced by Education Minister Janet Museveni in August 2023 while launching the education digital agenda. The Agenda will guide the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in schools.
She acknowledged that while ICTs and the internet provide powerful tools for enhancing education and that the government needed to implement clear measures to ensure that technology does not become a distraction, this has been criticised by some school founders in Mubende.
The minister emphasized that while the government is allowing mobile devices in schools, they should be configured to block access to unwanted and harmful content. All the devices according to the Minister must meet the approval and conditions set by regulators such as NITA-U, though the directors of schools in Mubende say it’s difficult since children can get phones from anywhere.
Possessing a mobile device like a telephone in many schools has been considered a serious offense. Students risked suspension if they were found in possession of mobile phones, tablets, and other devices.
However, Mr. Irumba Gabriel also stressed that while the policy change is positive, the government must ensure support for students who cannot afford their own devices, because some students are on bursaries so they cannot add on buying phones for them.
He stressed the need for developing infrastructure and equipping schools nationwide to avoid leaving any institution behind.
A 2022 e-readiness assessment revealed that 65 percent of teachers in both secondary and primary schools felt uncomfortable integrating technology into their teaching practices and preferred traditional classroom methods.
The Ministry will need approximately 1.3 trillion shillings over the next seven years to implement the digital agenda. This translates to an estimated annual expenditure of 187.214 billion to meet the initiative’s objectives.
Of the annual budget, 1.19 billion is earmarked for the production and access to localized digital content, curriculum development, e-learning, and teacher training in technology-mediated teaching methods.
Additionally, 185.9 billion will be invested each year to improve access to digital services and connectivity infrastructure.
Uganda has attempted various ICT initiatives in education, most of which have not succeeded. However, the closure of traditional classrooms due to COVID-19 for over two years prompted many schools, especially private and urban ones, to rapidly adopt tech-led learning.
