STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER
DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI
AT THE MTN PRESENTATION OF COMPUTERS TO SITEKI NAZARENE HIGH SCHOOL
AT SITEKI NAZARENE HIGH SCHOOL
THURSDAY 26 MAY 2016
Honourable Minister
MTN Representative
Principal and staff of Siteki Nazarene High School
Students
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is always a great pleasure to visit a place of learning within our education sector. Today it is the turn of Siteki Nazarene High School. It is immensely encouraging and inspiring to see, and be close to, the young people who will be the future society and economy of the Kingdom of Swaziland. And it is especially rewarding when one is given the opportunity to present a gift that will be appreciated and well-used, and, I trust properly cared for.
The gift, that I am delighted to present today, is in the form of ten computers, generously donated by our cellphone service provider, Swazi MTN, and it is gratefully received.
As more and more human activity find its expression within computer technology it is essential that the entry of our youngsters into the digital world is as early as possible in their school careers. There is no doubt that access to computers in the school environment provides an enhancement to a student’s education. I have, on numerous occasions, likened it to having the world’s best reference library in one’s sitting room or, in this case, the classroom. Obtaining information across the full range of subjects at electronic speed on a screen is, of course, only one of the many uses of computer technology in education. But it is one area that has revolutionized the world of research, which is as relevant in the school as it is in the workplace.
From a teaching perspective we encounter the ability to instruct students through the visual-friendly use of Powerpoint slides, Word and Excel documents and Internet web pages. During their learning process, students can access and simultaneously save detailed information for projects through the Internet, e-books and online encyclopaedias. They can use online testing and keep personal records of their own individual testing history. They can analyse their own aptitudes and professional interests when considering a future career. In these I have captured just a few of the areas in which computers in the schools can enhance a student’s education.
In addition to providing learners with the technological experience necessary to participate in the global economy, at the administrative level, ICT can make education systems more efficient by helping teachers and administrators to streamline routine tasks, and improve assessment and data collection, which in turn will improve the culture of learning.
From the Government perspective, it is most gratifying to be able to assist the youth – our future teachers, scientists, technologists, doctors, lecturers and many other disciplines. The technological advancements have provided new forms of delivery of educational content and the accompanying teaching aids.
Computer technology has a great and growing potential in the provision of an equitable and effective education system. The Ministry of Education and Training is continuously working towards e-skilling our young people for national prosperity and global competitiveness. We are grateful for the partnership that exists between us, as Government, and Swazi MTN, which has resulted in your being beneficiaries of the computers we are delivering today.
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sector is regarded by Government as one of the game-changers which can stimulate faster growth in our economy. The country's Vision 2022 and the National Development Strategy (NDS), articulate that ICT will continue to transform economic and social activities, and how individuals and communities will function and communicate. Speed and efficiency of uptake is of great importance. The gift of these computers can be seen as yet another step in the uptake and usage of ICTs.
Like energy and transport, ICT is an enabler – it can speed up delivery, support analysis, build intelligence, and create new ways to share, learn, teach and engage. But there exists what we call a digital divide – a gap between those who have the resources to access ICT and those who do not. Narrowing that digital divide means ICT resources must be provided to those without them, and their computer skills developed. This starts with giving priority to ICT in education. The Computer Education Trust gave Swaziland schools an enormous boost through the distribution of hundreds of computers to our schools over a number of years. Now, it is Government, together with companies such as Swazi MTN, to ensure that the digital divide is completely eradicated.
It is therefore the responsibility of the Learning Institutions such as schools, together with the Ministry of Education and Training, to avail every opportunity for their students to access electronic platforms which will enable them to acquire digital skills and reach their full potential. ICT allows learners to prepare for the careers of today and tomorrow that will increasingly be absorbed into the digital revolution.
Integrating ICT technology into the education sector is helping to provide learning systems that spread far beyond the boundaries of the physical classroom, schools, universities and traditional school day. It allows teachers and parents to communicate for better decisions related to student’s needs, through improving the flow of information and facilitating the collection and analysis of greater amounts of student data to more accurately track student performance. It also increases the opportunities of collaboration to provide a variety of educational resources, products and services. Computer technology encourages innovation in the delivery mechanisms of the education process.
The provision of ICT connectivity is therefore essential to provide learners with what are commonly called 21st Century skills – those competencies and values needed to become responsible and capable citizens in a learning society, sustaining their employability throughout a life in a knowledge economy. The Ministry of Education and Training will help teachers and students to acquire the skills and use technology in relevant and authentic ways that create the knowledge and skills necessary for lifelong learning.
The computer and Internet present a magnificent opportunity for teachers to teach, and students to learn, in a digital environment of unlimited scope. I believe that the presentation of this potential, when computers are properly used in the classroom, actually develops an appetite for knowledge and for the acquisition of skills across a wide spectrum.
Nevertheless, as you install and then make access to the additional computer resources available to students, I urge you to ensure that the computers are used creatively, productively and, of course, properly. Facebook and the rest of the social networks have their place outside the classroom. I look forward very much to hearing, one day, about the impact the ten new computers have on the education of the school’s students.
I conclude by thanking MTN for its donation and hope that it can extend its corporate social responsibilities to donating computers to more schools in the country.
Thank you.