Intel, KIE roll out digital curriculum in Kenya schools

1 Apr 2011

NAIROBI: Intel Corporation and the Kenya Institute of Education have announced a joint commitment to roll out a digital educational curriculum that would transform how students interact with their teachers in the classroom.

As part of this effort, Intel and KIE will collaborate on developing localised content for the Intel skoool Learning and Teaching Technology, an interactive internet resource for learning math and science - a digital model that has been promoted in other countries like South Africa, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana and now Kenya. Intel skoool Learning and Teaching program provides teachers and students online access to science and mathematics resources and tools set in an engaging, multimedia environment to help improve learning.

Increasing access to education

"Our continued partnership with Kenya Institute of Education ties in with our mission to increase access to education and improve the quality of education through integration of new technology," said Intel regional director in-charge of Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Aysegul lldeniz.

She said Intel plans to continue to work closely with the government of Kenya on educational programs aimed at ensuring that more Kenyan children enroll in school, stay in school and receive a high-quality education that equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the 21st-century economy.

"Intel initiatives also offer proven ways to integrate technology into the curriculum for enhanced classroom learning. By taking a holistic approach to education that includes the effective integration of ICT, we believe that this is a bold step forward to create a sustainable model of education reform and more so a booster to the Ministry of Education efforts to put its implementation of National ICT strategy for Education on the fast track," said Intel Kenya country manager, Omar Bajaber.

Develop a Curriculum Innovation Centre

KIE director, Lydia Nzomo says the organisation was also working with Intel to develop a Curriculum Innovation Centre which will among others provide a platform for curriculum and academic research and development and support efforts on curriculum development in the country.

"We believe that public-private collaborations are the most powerful means to invest in 21st-century learning and at the same time can help to stimulate the local economy," said Nzomo.

Intel has invested over a billion dollars in more than 60 countries including Kenya to roll out various e-learning initiatives and is also a participant in the Clinton Global Initiative to bridge the digital divide. Through its Intel Teach program, Intel has trained more than nine million teachers worldwide to use PCs in the classroom and is also donating 100,000 PCs to developing countries like Kenya to help accelerate technology use in the classroom.