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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent

GOVERNMENT, through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, has commissioned a state-of-the-art ICT laboratory at Harare Central Prison Primary School to boost the education sector through e-learning.

The school received 30 laptops, a projector, an all-in-one printer and a whiteboard to boost ICT learning at the school and the community at large.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Permanent Secretary for Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Beaullah Chirume, said the lab will go a long way in the attainment of the digital economy as enunciated in the National Development Strategy.

“We think that when we catch them young and give them the digital skills as young people, we will be able to attain the culture that we need to inculcate in these young learners,” she said.

“The culture of efficiency will be attained through the pervasive nature of ICTs in all the sectors in Zimbabwe. We have commissioned ICT labs in schools across the country and we are not confining ourselves to urban centres.

“We think that this programme will be more efficient and more rewarding and needed in the remote areas and underserved areas. We are also working with telecom operators to make sure that we have connectivity in those areas so that our teachers and learners are able to access educational materials online.”

ZPCS Deputy Commissioner-General Shepherd Mpofu said the donation will go a long way in improving the learners’ performance at the school.

“We have about 820 our learners and they are going to benefit from this donation. It is not only going to start and end there, we have the community and the parents and guardians of the learners who are also going to benefit.

“We have 14 schools across the country and hope that we will also be opening ICT labs in those schools so that they all benefit,” he said.

Zanu PF National Assembly candidate for Mount Pleasant Cde Beadle Gwasira thanked the Ministry for donating the ICT appliances to the school.

“This donation will empower our children in the 21st century and this is why we are going the ICT way. If they do not understand it now, it will be difficult for them to learn. We hope that other schools in this constituency have state-of-the-art ICT labs commissioned at their schools,” he said.