District will try out digital libraries, MP says

Education

POOR education outcomes for students in rural areas can be attributed to schools lacking learning resource centres such as libraries.
Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru used schools in his electorate as an example.
The district development authority board, therefore, will try out digital libraries in four schools this year.
“A review undertaken at Yangoru Secondary School reveals that books in the school library are 15-plus years out-dated,” Maru said.
The digital library will be tried at the Yangoru and Kubalia secondary schools, Marinumbo Primary School and Yangoru AOG Primary School.
“The outcomes from these four schools will determine whether digital libraries have a positive impact on students’ learning.”
Maru said it could then be rolled out to other high schools and primary schools.
“Schools with a high academic performance will get top priority,” he said.
“Connectivity using technology for life-long learning, education and gaining knowledge is one of our key strategies for rural transformation.
“Providing student learning resources such as an e-library (will) improve the quality of education.”
The board has appointed the principal of the Yangoru Secondary School as the new chairperson for its district education board.
Maru said the district had invested more than K45mil in education in the past eight years. Education Minister Jimmy Uguro recently said the Government wanted all schools to have libraries.