PanAf newsletter indispensable to ICT4E researchers and practitioners
The article calls for African Educators to participate in communities of practice where content and ideas are evaluated and to develop their own learning materials. The newsletter also devotes two articles to the contentious issue of language and empowerment in ICTs in Education in Africa. In both articles the dominance of the English language in ICTs is cited as problematic for learners who may have to adjust their reasoning to navigate between mother-tongue and English when using ICTs. One paper supports the immediate mobilization of African educators, governments and the private sector in collaboration with the national and international development agencies to embark on a multi-pronged and multi-phased project to translate current computer languages into African languages to be completely inclusive rather than exclusive. In other articles the recurring issue of access was as prevalent as ever with one article reminding us that Africa is not just on one side of a north/south digital divide, but harbors its own digital divides between those with access and those without and between rural and urban learners, the latter standing a much better chance of accessing ICTs. This issue is replete with case studies from a number of countries including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’ivoire, Mozambique, Senegal and Ghana.
By Niamh Brannigan