IICD supported project: ICT-Connect-TED, Networking Teacher Training Colleges

Countries: Tanzania [TZ]
Sectors: education

Summary

This project was formally launched in Bagamoyo in September 2003 with a series of ICT training activities for the principals of al (44) Tanzanian Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and their technicians. Today, three TTCs based in Monduli, Korogwe and Iringa own the project and run it from their respective institutes. This project enables the installation of computers in all of Tanzania’s TTCs and links them to the internet. The performance of the colleges will be reinforced through the mutual exchange of data: this is the main leverage for a rapid and useful application of ICT in development.

Update

Updated: 2005-09-09

Having achieved its goal by the end of 2004 – connecting all of Tanzania’s Teacher Training Colleges to the internet and setting up a network linking all of them together – the Networking Teacher Training Colleges project is now focussing on content development (via a regular newsletter and other communication-related activities) and ICT training for TTC staff. Two training programmes will be implemented in October 2005: one for principals (focussing on business development); and, one for tutor-technicians (focussing on computer maintenance). Each college has appointed one tutor to act as a technician. Meanwhile, the Agency for the Development of Education Management Acquisition (ADEM) is acting as a service organization for the participating colleges and has set up a help-desk for the TTCs.

Introduction

In Tanzania, the poor performance of teachers in schools is often caused simply by a lack of information and the absence of the means to communicate and cooperate effectively with their peers in other schools. ICTs are a cost-effective remedy for many of these problems and can therefore be used to improve the quality of education. Implementing ICT use in (the management of) primary and secondary schools begins at the Teacher Training Colleges. However, the first step towards reaching this goal is to make sure that the ICT facilities are available. By connecting Tanzania’s TTCs to the internet, the Networking Teacher Training Colleges project (also known as ICT-Connect-TED) has taken that first step.

Objectives

The main objective of the ICT-Connect-TED project is to facilitate and promote easy and relatively cheap communication between the principals, tutors and administrators of Tanzania’s Teacher Training Colleges. By providing the TTCs with internet connectivity and improving the computer skills of TTC staff members, it is expected that TTCs will be able to manage their resources more efficiently in future. In many ways, the project is special: aside from distributing technical materials to TTCs and School Management Programmes and relevant information to special education schools, it is also contributing to the establishment of a national education management information system, which does not exist in Tanzania at present. End users will be able to keep up with the project’s ongoing activities through the project newsletters, the education management website, regional meetings, and an Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Planned outputs

The following output is planned to achieve:
- Facilitating and promoting easy and cheap communication between the TTC principals, tutors and administrators;
- Developing the computer skills of TTC staff members;
- Improving the management of resources within the colleges;
- Enabling TTCs to integrate ICTs into their daily teaching practice; and
- Providing technical support through a well-staffed and equipped help-desk installed by the Agency for the Development of Education Management Acquisition (ADEM).

Development Impacts

This project has involved its end users (principals and tutors at the TTCs, and primary and secondary school teachers and pupils) at every stage of its development. It uses e-mail, CD-ROMs and regular field visits to distribute training materials and to reach out to areas further a field. In time, it expects the end users themselves to be able to manage the technical training materials.

The long-term development impacts of this project are substantial: as the overall level of education improves in the Teacher Training Colleges, it is expected that this will have a trickle down effect on the education sector as a whole: teachers in general will be more qualified, computer literate, in a better position to share knowledge with their peers in other schools, and able to access a wide variety of teaching materials via the internet. In addition, the college principals will be able to use the training materials for inter-collegial communication; college tutors will receive information about management training; primary and secondary school teachers will receive school management training; and ultimately pupils will attend lessons in better-managed schools. All in all, this project will help to boost the general standard of education nationwide.

Management and organisation

The project is owned by three TTCs in Monduli, Korogwe and Iringa. IICD provides technical assistance. The project team members are: Mr A. Moshi (Principal, Korogwe Teachers College), Mr S. Masunzu (ADEM, Bagamoyo) with assistance from Mr N. E. Mugogo (Chief Executive Officer, ADEM) and Mr K. Atsma (adviser, ADEM). The project is supervised by Ms Joyce Msolla, principal of Kleruu Teacher Training College in Iringa. The project is implemented by ADEM in Bagamoyo and the TTCs.

The project owners need to find a new distribution channel for new education management training materials, technical assistance and monitoring the TTCs’ provision of school management training. ADEM intends to establish a nationwide network to improve education management training and consultancy as a whole. As long as the project is running, other institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC), the Tanzania Institute of Education, the National Examination Council of Tanzania and international organizations such as IICD are expected to provide technical assistance, learning materials, and take care of standing orders.

Market and finance

TTCs are the main beneficiaries through the inter-college communication. The TTCs end users and beneficiaries are located country wide and the current means of communication is through telephones and meetings.

It is expected that at the end of five years of the project about 150 TTCs will be direct users while thousands of indirect beneficiaries such as primary and secondary school teachers and their staff. However the project team members are also aware of the side effect, which will likely occur, being the fact that the colleges can obtain relevant information for special education profession through professional contacts. Not only that, but also when the project starts, the end users will be able to get a feedback on the ongoing activities of the project through the Newsletters, education management website, zonal meetings and one Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Results

ICT-Connect-TED has managed to provide 44 Teacher Training Colleges in Tanzania with computers and a networking infrastructure, including the necessary software to run them. A newsletter is being developed and several training activities have been undertaken.

Project Owner : Teachers Training Colleges in Monduli, Korogwe and Iringa
Agency for the Development of Education Management (ADEM)
Contact: Lameck Kaagali
Tel: +225-023-2440022/2440025
Email: kagaali@excite.com

Project Partners : IICD and the Tanzanian Ministry for Education and Culture (MoEC)

Project Contact : IICD