NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 18 – Public school teachers can now buy laptops loaded with the current syllabus and training materials following a partnership which aims at integrating e-learning into the country’s education system.
The initiative between Safaricom, Equity Bank, Microsoft, Intel, Kenya Institute of Education and the teachers’ main employer body, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was launched on Wednesday.
The partnership will see Equity Bank provide credit facilities to teachers, while Safaricom will make the acquisition of the devices, bundled with internet usage, possible through its 32-strong Safaricom Retail Centre network across Kenya.
Interested teachers will select their laptop solution of choice from Safaricom Retail Centers based on their needs and apply for financing from any Equity Bank branch. Once financing is confirmed, the customers will be notified to collect their laptops from the Safaricom Retail Centre.
Speaking during the signing ceremony Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph said the initiative would allow teaching professionals in the middle and low-income segments of the economy to embrace technology at an affordable price.
Equity Bank Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi said the Bank would provide affordable and flexible credit terms to the over 240,000 teachers under the TSC to access the laptops and hence bridge the digital divide especially in the rural areas.
Dr Mwangi said teachers in the country played a crucial role in imparting knowledge, which was a key cornerstone in Kenya’s economic blueprint Vision 2030.
Microsoft will provide certified and subsidised software and antivirus for the laptops. It will further host, support Microsoft Live@edu email solution to all Kenyan teachers, and provide access to Microsoft Learning Essentials.
The laptops will also come loaded with the KIE syllabuses for both primary and secondary education.
