Digital Literacy Program making learning fun Govt

The Principal Secretary State Department of Energy, Eng Joseph Njoroge, says that the Digital Literacy Program (DLP) has made children more interested in learning, helped to promote concentration and achieved a 100% presence in schools.

Speaking in Thika on Tuesday, October 12 while launching the program in Gatuanyaga Primary School, Eng Njoroge said that over 60,000 teachers have been trained countrywide as Trainer of Trainers in an effort to ensure that ICT skills are fully introduced in all primary schools.

“The Ministry of Education through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum development (KICD) has developed content for classes 1, 2, and 3 and this content has been pre-installed in the devices being distributed to school,” said the PS.

“It is anticipated that in future, access to content will be device –neutral to enable learners and teachers to access it by the use of any enabled device such as TV, video and players,” he said.

Eng Njoroge further intimated that the government is looking into how to upscale the program which is earmarked to be implemented in all primary schools in the country and targets over one million standard one pupils  to other classes in upper primary.

Njoroge pointed out that the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum is working round the clock to ensure that all schools are connected to electricity while solar panels are installed in schools located in remote parts of the country.

“In Kiambu County, we have increased connectivity from 271,664 in2013 to close to 520,000 households and increase of 91%,” he said.

Njoroge said that through the Last Mile project funded by the World Bank and  the African Development Bank the country has been able to connect more households with electricity where over 5 million households have already being connected.

The PS said the project has changed the lives of Kenyans which has led to good lifestyles and convenience and enhanced working hours which will lead to a 24/7 economy.

He called on Kenyans to use the power to start small industries in rural areas to create employment though value addition.

While responding to a request by area Member of Parliament Alice Ng’ang’a that six villages in Thika East which have been without power issued a directive to the Mount Kenya Power Regional Manager to ensure that work on connecting the villages starts immediately.

Reporting by Kilango Francis