Microsoft has announced it will partner with the Rwandan government to launch an online education scheme
Representatives of the software giant and the Rwandan Ministry of Education (Mineduc) met to discuss the implementation of the One Digital ID per Child Programme, following a partnership agreement signed in March 2014.
Education minister Silas Lwakabamba explained, “In this partnership, Microsoft will give us technology and software, especially the Microsoft Office 365, which will enable interactions between students and staff.”
The scheme will enable students to access learning materials such as homework, marks and notes from any device with Internet connectivity, including from ‘smart classrooms’ which Mineduc plans to establish.
One Digital ID per Child is an extension of the existing One Laptop per Child scheme, Lwakabamba explained.
“Having devices in schools is not enough. We want to have cloud software, which will enable interaction between staff and students so that instead of us talking of One Laptop per Child, we talk of one identity per child,” Lwakabamba said.
Microsoft will also roll out full broadband connectivity to the University of Rwanda Huye Campus and secondary school Groupe Scolaire Officiel Indatwa for the next two years.
