By Matṧeliso Phulane
Vodacom Lesotho Foundation (VLF) has launched a five-year M2, 8 million Information Communication Technology (ICT) project in partnership with the Lesotho College of Education (LCE).
The programme is aimed at equipping teachers with ICT skills to enable them to access online teaching resources, plan and design lessons, construct classroom activities, as well as guide learners in navigating full digital resources in research and experimentation.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two organisations, training of both pre-service and in-service teachers will be provided by Computer Business Solution, a local company.
The project is expected to become a veritable digital hub that creates a rich eLearning environment not only at the LCE, but across the country.
Speaking at the signing of the MoU this week, Pinki Mokoena from VLF said the ICT Teacher Training Project seeks to enhance teachers’ ability to effectively utilise digital technology in the classroom.
“We are going to train 2000 teachers and also give LCE a lab equipped with about 100 computers,” Mokoena noted.
The training will start with teachers who are already at the college, followed by those who are teaching in public schools.
On her part, the minister of information, communications, science, technology and innovation, Nthati Moorosi, thanked VLF and LCE for “establishing such a fundamental initiative”.
Moorosi said the project aligns perfectly with her ministry’s, which aims to work towards boosting the country’s economy through technology.
She added enhancing teachers’ skills in technology and the use of internet is a significant step as they will be able to pass their knowledge to learners.
Speaking at the same event, LCE registrar ‘Marethabile Khanyane, hailed the project saying teachers cannot be left behind in this current era of technology.
“It has been a long but exciting journey during which representatives from VCF and LEC met several times to map the way forward for this initiative to come to fruition,” Khanyane said.
