The Ministry of Education has confirmed that 160 Standard One teachers are currently taking training at Moi University Main Campus in Kesses in a pilot phase exercise ahead of the roll out of laptop project for pupils as promised by the Jubilee government.
Speaking on Monday during the launch of the training project, ICTA Director of Partnerships, Innovation and Capacity Eunice Kariuki said that the teachers' training programme is a great milestone in the delivery of DLP popularly referred to as the laptops project.
According to Kariuki, the laptops have Standard One digital content developed by Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development which was launched in December 2015.
"We are concluding on the tendering process. Last term four schools received the laptops and 146 more will get them when they reopen for second term. The computers for the pilot programme will be delivered by June this year as we look forward to full procurement and supply," Kariuki said.
"We believe after the session, they (teachers) will be ready to handle the gadgets that will be distributed to implement this programme," he added.
The training exercise ends on Friday with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agricultural Technology getting one slot and will implement the programme in 21 counties.
On his part, Michael Kahiti, chief economist in the Ministry of Education, said the commencement of teachers' training was important because technology is just a tool and needs trainers to make it relevant.
"We don't expect more challenges going forward," said Kahiti.
The training also continues at Coast Campus in Mombasa.Officials from the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission and the Moi University – JP-IK Consortium on Monday April 25, 2016 officially launched the one-week training session of the Digital Literacy Programme (DLP).
Moi University is one of the institutions that won two lots of the three tenders by the government to supply, install and commission the laptop project in 26 counties in partnership with JP Cousto Company from Portugal.