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{
    "id": 994274,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/994274/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 105,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the issue of e-learning is like a blind man in a dark room trying to find a black cat. It is impossible. When the Jubilee administration proposed the laptop programme, the reality was that we are living in a world driven by information powered by technology. The essence of it was to equip our children with skills of intuitively using devices, not necessarily to teach them primarily through those devices, because those are the tools being used throughout this world. They can even use the applications when they are at home. We have applications like Mathway and Seesaw, but those are not the primary channels through which education should occur. I think I am saying this for the third time now. The candid discussion this country needs to have is that during this time of the pandemic, education is on hold. There is none that is going on. We need to be realistic and practical. I thank Sen. (Dr.) Mbito for his Statement, but in reality, schools having ICT infrastructure is one small part of the spectrum. The schools could have the infrastructure, but students may not have the devices. Secondly, why is there an assumption that the content is being delivered from schools because teachers are also at home? There are schools that have been trying to do it. Even for schools where our children go to, you can see that they are just struggling because they do not know how to use the devices. Education must remain how it is supposed to be traditionally, with the teacher and student looking at each other, and the teacher seeing the concentration. The devices are supposed to be supplementary tools for further exercises. Once you teach the children the concepts in a classroom, whether it is Mathematics, English or Science, they can do exercises on the applications at home. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on that question, what should be added is the issue of how many children are able to access these devices. We said that there should be no mobile phones in schools. Therefore, in many households, the owner of the mobile phone is the parent who does not stay at home with the child. Even if you do world-class ICT infrastructure in schools, if the students are not in the school, nothing will happen. There is another issue that Sen. (Prof.) Kamar has alluded to, which is, the Cabinet Secretary for Education not attending to the Committee on Education. Last week, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}