Second phase of DigiSchool project completed as 21 schools connected to internet

The connectivity, under a partnership by between Kenya’s Ministry of Education, Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, Kenya Power (KPLC), UNESCO, and Huawei TECH4ALL has enabled connectivity 6 schools for children with special educational needs.

Machakos School for the Deaf is one of the schools for deaf children that was connected to the nation’s high-speed fiber broadband network under the second phase of the project.

“We are here at Machakos School for the Deaf to ensure that the school is connected to the national fiber so that they can learn better and contribute to improved learning outcomes. Since visual access is key for the deaf, the package also includes a video conferencing solution,” said Eng. John Tanui CBS, Principal Secretary for the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy.  

Tanui acknowledged the support of the private sector in delivering development projects.

Under the digital inclusion agenda, DigiSchool unveiled a video conferencing equipment to enable Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) provide remote support for school administrators, teachers, and learners at deaf schools, enhancing teaching capacity at the schools and improving access to various services.

“With these solutions, connectivity is improving the efficiency of education management. It is helping head teachers access management systems online. It is improving access to education resources online – whether videos, curriculum, or experts. And connectivity in the classroom is making learning more interesting, fun, and effective. In schools catering for special educational needs, connectivity is helping experts provide assessment and rehabilitation services remotely,” said Stephen Zhang, Deputy CEO for Huawei Kenya. 

During the event, attendees experienced a connected class with video conferencing between learners and KISE experts.

“UNESCO stands ready to continue to work with the government of Kenya, Huawei, and all other stakeholders to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as stated in Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the aspirations of the National Education Sector Strategic Plan,” said Louise Haxthausen, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa.

Under its long-term digital inclusion initiative TECH4ALL, Huawei has supported the DigiSchool Connectivity Project since the launch of Phase I, and is responsible for technical assessments, solution design, provision of the equipment, and project management. 

Connecting to the government’s fiber-optic network NOFBI, the telco’s all-optical access and FTTR-B solutions enable high-quality, all-optical Wi-Fi connections and a high-speed network experience for online courses and live video classes in the target schools.

Phase 1 of the DigiSchool project connected 13 schools to the Internet, benefiting 6,000 students and teachers.