KENYA: Remote school goes online
A new wave of digital frenzy has re-ignited the hunger for knowledge in one of Kenya's remotest regions. With no electricity, no proper classrooms and few teachers, pupils at Asilong Primary school can no longer lag behind the digital age, thanks to an unknown gadget, a little green XO laptop, that has revolutionized the learning system in the school.
The school, situated in West Pokot district, 500 km north of the capital Nairobi, is the talk of the area. Students are learning via computers. Pupils no longer write their compositions on paper, they type it. This may sound absurd considering the fact that the school is dilapidated, lacks teachers, has no proper facilities including windows. In fact most students learn under trees. But such pitfalls would not deter the students and teachers alike, from embracing technology.
With the introduction of MsingiPACK on these XO Laptops, the school has undergone a dramatic change with everything operating so different compared to previous years. Msingi is a Swahili word meaning foundation; hence the laptops have created the foundation for e-learning. The school currently has 100 laptops, which are not enough for the increasing number of students, but the headteacher is optimistic that the gap will be filled. Taking us round the classrooms, the headteacher’s pride was not lost on us.
"I am very happy because our school is in the front line of technology. My students can now match their urban counterparts," says Joachim Kiprop.
Metamorphosis
At least each student has access to a laptop. But, even as the school grapples with the need for more computers, one thing is certain; the education system here has undergone a complete metamorphosis. The concept of e-learning is the last anyone would expect from here. Asilong has its own set of circumstances. This includes an extremely hostile climate, extreme physical remoteness, close to zero infrastructure which makes electricity connection a mirage. Here classrooms have either windows or doors and there is a chronic shortage of everything-classrooms, books, and teachers. Worse still, the apathy in education is quite high as most young people practice cattle grazing, as the major social and economic activity in the area. But the headteacher brushes this off, telling us that he expects engineers, mechanics, doctors and teachers from among students.
The new initiative of introducing laptops to remote schools is the brainchild of one local organisation known as Kificom. In partnership with SNV Netherlands Development Organization and a few local universities, Kificom offers a glimmer of hope to many students in this area. It is impressive to see young girls typing and using other computer applications to aid their school work. Most girls in the area have always fallen victim of early marriages because their parents do not value their education. Literacy levels here are notably low as many parents prefer to send their children to graze cattle. But the new digital frenzy, which is being replicated in other schools, has excited several parents and many have vowed to educate their children.
A pupil using an XO laptop
In Asilong village, an area predominantly known for numerous cattle raids, famine, illiteracy and female circumcision, the arrival of computers is like a myth. The lucky few who can use the gadget are glorified in the area. It is normal to find a whole village surrounding one person who is able to teach them computer applications. In one such compound, we find Mary Lemayan, a 14-year-old standard 8 pupil. She takes pride in the XO laptop as she teaches her village some Geography lessons. She clicks on to the map of Africa and shows the villagers where Kenya is located. Villagers stare in admiration as most have no idea where their country is situated, let alone their village. The young girl also draws pictures using the gadget, something that excites children in the area. Many will do anything to touch the little gadget, if only to take the pride.
"My parents have never been in school. They cannot write their names or do simple mathematical calculations. With this computer, I am able to teach them basic knowledge and they are appreciating it," she says.
Teacher training
The North rift e-learning consortium in partnership with Universities in that area have been quite resourceful in training primary school teachers in order to facilitate the e-learning programme in schools. More than 400 teachers have received theory and practical lessons on computer applications, which they impart to students. Hence, learning in these remote schools has gone a notch higher with at least 70,000 pupils benefiting from the project. The unprecedented phenomenon has helped to boost the image of this area, hitherto known for its backwardness.
At Asilong Primary school, the success is evident. At least every pupil from class one to eight can access the laptop for learning, so says the headteacher.
Though the challenges are many and unavoidable, pupils now have a wider scope of learning materials from their laptops. The XO laptops have come in handy to bridge the gap brought about by lack of libraries and few teachers. A walk round the classrooms (not normal classes but tree shades), small groups of pupils are seated on dry cattle skin. They are learning mathematical formula via the laptops and we are obliged to stand and stare, as these are the future doctors, engineers and teachers of Asilong village.
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