E-learning expert urges schools to take advantage of political will

AN expert in electronic learning (e-learning), Fanwell Besa has urged various schools to take advantage of the political will shown by the Government to promote the use of e-learning.

Mr Besa said if properly harnessed, e-learning could be used to enhance the school system and bring about social and economic development in the country.

He urged stakeholders to make use of the e-learning national committee, which the Government has put in place, in order to promote the use of e-learning not only in schools but Government ministries as well.

Speaking at the e-brain monthly discussion at Golden Bridge yesterday, Mr Besa said it was time Zambian schools embraced e-learning failure to which they would lag behind.

“There is no excuse for us as a country not to embrace the use of e-learning. More so that the Government has formulated the Information Communication Technology (ICT) policy,” he said.

Mr Besa singled out the Ministry of Education, which he said had taken the integration of ICT serious.

He said the Government had laid a strong foundation for the use of ICT and there was no need for Zambia to lag behind in the use of e-learning.

He added that the goodwill shown by the Government towards the use of e-learning culminated into the recent holding of e-learning Africa conference, which took place in Zambia recently.

And e-brain Zambia forum chairperson Lee Muzala commended the Government for mainstreaming e-learning in most schools.

Mr Muzala said the installation of the optic fibre availed Zambia a huge potential to tap into and enhance the use of e-learning.

“We have a good opportunity to maximise the use of e-learning through the optic fibre. As a country, we have a chance which we seem not to be using,” he said.

And e-learning consultant Mulemwa Moongwa said Zambia was steadily making progress towards maximising the use of e-learning.

She, however, pointed out that as expected, there were some level of resistance towards adopting the use of e-learning.

“We need to build capacity in this area even for people who are nearing retirement,” she said.