Eng. Kariuki,

 

This is the only statement I could find:

"The Government will encourage the growth of local software industry by

increasing awareness among stakeholders of the opportunities offered by

different software models, including proprietary, open-source and free

software in order to increase competition, access, diversity of choice and to

enable users to develop solutions".

 

Yes you are right it is not silent. What I meant was that we are non-committal on OSS. The policy is "sitting on the fence", so to speak, and therefore does not provide an explicit direction. This is what I meant - sorry for the miscommunication

 

Is there a plan to review this policy any time soon?

 

Regards

 

tm

 

 

 

 

On 6/30/09, John Kariuki <ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Tim, Please look at the ICT Policy of 2006 again and you will find that it is not silent on Open Source Software. I am sure other listers can confirm this. Eng. J.N. Kariuki. --- On Tue, 30/6/09, Mwololo Tim <timwololo@gmail.com> wrote: From: Mwololo Tim <timwololo@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Tuesday, 30 June, 2009, 6:02 AM Listers,   Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.   tim mwololo   On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote: There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary and Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and training the teachers. This in a short period of time. Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month. They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast. They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses. Ikua -- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>: forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa  <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote: From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an  accreditation system for  ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200 primary school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into... The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more practical and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities. Rgds, Manu  "New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction. As for the University Level IT faculty staff.  Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true.  You can count the number of IT Professors in this country on your three fingers ;-) walu.   --- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote: From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for  ICT courses To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM       Betty,     Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.       ?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.     Kind regards     B. K. Sang         From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Betty Ogange Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM To: Barnabas K. Sang Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses              Hallo David,    Last week there was furore in this forum about media    misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make    reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that    you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised    in the article. http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316           ?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done    to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training    college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?          Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not    miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting    in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills    courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were    independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE)    ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in    force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all    primary teacher training colleges.  It is examined internally at the end of    the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other    subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several    implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is    being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be    mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around    ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right    from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in    the education circles.            ?In-service training is often provided by trainers who    are just barely literate in computers?          In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when    some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to    the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but    in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained    lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly    professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in    conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya    Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad    e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected    secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT    initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have    compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.            ?The entire ICT education is in tatters?    An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling    with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation    dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before    they can get better.  There are lots of difficulties in implementing large    scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country,    there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a    number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand,    there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy    documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain    indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.          Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both    the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target    their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions    such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals?     ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly    sensational.          Betty                --- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>    wrote:        From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>    Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation    system for ICT courses    To: ogange@yahoo.com    Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions"    <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>    Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM            .....universities    offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......                         Although    nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo    Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have    Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.            There    is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to    Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs    in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the    same number for Strathmore.             Kenyatta    University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent    qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of    six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.            Many    lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software    developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.                         See http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&     for full story                --    David Otwoma,    Chief Science Secretary,    National Council for Science and Technology,    Utalii House 9th Floor,    Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,    Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,    P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya    email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke    www.ncst.go.ke            -----Inline Attachment Follows-----        _______________________________________________    kictanet mailing list    kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke    http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet        This message was sent to: ogange@yahoo.com    Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ogange%40yahoo.com                 -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: jwalu@yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com       _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/emmanuel.khisa%40kadet. co.ke _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: timwololo@gmail.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/timwololo%40gmail.com   -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngethe.kariuki2007%40yahoo.co.uk