By Prisca Promise Mashushu

Lilongwe, June 17, Mana:  Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education, Rachael Chimbwete Phiri has disclosed positive feedback on the Building Education Foundation through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) program, where learners use tablets in primary education.

She made the remarks at Chinyata Primary School in Mchinji where the PS together with Rwanda delegates conducted an inspection to appreciate the use of tablets by children below standard 4 classes.

She said the ministry is working together with school administrations across the country to introduce and implement the use of tablets among primary schools.

“As a ministry we have mobilised resources for the program and now we have managed to provide tablets to about 960 schools across the country and we have managed to train teachers on it’s usage by placing the program on the curriculum.

“The program has received a lot of feedback as it has brought interest in children to attend classes and many of them are now about to read and write properly,” disclosed Phiri.

Phiri said the Rwanda government brought it’s representative to appreciate the progress of the project in different schools across the country.

Deputy Headteacher at Chinyata Primary School, Teresa Sathawa, commended the ministry for introducing the programme at their school in 2023 as it has attracted and helped many children to enrol at the school.

“We have seen an increase in the number of children enrolling in Standard 1, from 955 to 1,364 learners this year,” she explained.

One of the representatives from Rwanda, Flora Motezigaju, who is the Deputy Director General for Rwanda Basic Education, stated that the program is highly effective among children here in Malawi.

“I noted that students are very active and very curious on how to use the tablets hence l believe it’s going to help them in their studies as they can navigate the content without having difficulties.

“This is going to improve our Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education back in Rwanda by using the same method taken from Malawi today,” she disclosed.

The ministry aims to introduce the program into 6,000 primary schools by 2029.