MBARARA – Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has on Thursday June 13, 2019 equipped 46 schools in Mbarara District with computer laboratories as part of an effort to improve learning facilities for science subjects in rural schools.
The project is funded by UCC’s Rural Communication Development Fund (RCDF). RCDF aims at making basic communications services accessible to Ugandans in the whole country.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has previously blamed lack of laboratories for the poor performance of students in science subjects during national examinations.
With standard laboratories for schools powered by the national grid’s power and solar energy, UCC hopes that rural schools can finally match their counterparts in urban areas, at least in the ICT area.
46 schools have benefited from this roll-out in Mbarara district in an event held at Ngabo Academy
The Commission through the RCDF project has since established over 1000 secondary school ICT laboratories to date.
The Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry of ICT Vincent Bagiire is presiding over the project.
The labs offer general-purpose packages such as Ms. Office and Internet connection. The lab servers are also capable of offering resource portals (gateway) to past papers, science virtual laboratories, and e-learning.
The handover of a state-of-the-art solar-powered Information and Computer Technology (ICT) computer laboratory comprising of 41 computers and accessories to 46 schools in Mbarara is expected to boost the study of sciences in the school.
The laboratory, which was installed by UCC under the RCDF, gives an opportunity to less privileged children to become future doctors, scientists and engineers.
The school labs follow under the broadband access program as they provide devices and access to broadband internet.
Since 2003, the Government of Uganda, through the RCDF, has implemented several ICT projects for rural areas such as setting up Internet cafes, ICT training centres, postal service expansion and GSM towers throughout the country.
The event attracted local leaders including Mbarara CAO and sub county Chiefs and Councilors.
The UCC has also obtained feedback from the communities.
