What are the aims of your project "Inspiring Science Education for Girls Using Information Communication Technology (ICT)"?

Daniel Kakinda: At all levels of the Uganda education system, the performance in science subjects is poor. The performance of girls is always poorer than that of boys.

The Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports has put in place a number of strategies to address the problem These include compulsory science for all students up to the fourth year of secondary education, construction of science laboratories and libraries, skewed recruitment of science teachers, and in-service training of science teachers.

The project aims to complement the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Sports toward improving the performance of girls in the science subjects. The project uses ICT to enhance the teaching and learning of science mainly in the girls' schools.

Whereas there is no single silver bullet that can be used to address all challenges of teaching and learning of science, the appropriate use of ICT combined with teacher pedagogical professional development provides an opportunity to address some.

A lack of, or inadequate, instructional materials like books, equipment, and chemicals can be addressed through the use of electronic books, virtual science labs, simulations, and video clips. Abstract science concepts can easily be explained and visualized through the uses of animations and simulations. Using video clips, the external environment can be brought into the classroom, helping to relate science to the daily life experiences of the learners.

Young people naturally love technology. Using ICT to deliver the science curriculum makes science teaching interesting and motivating. Providing teachers with pedagogical professional development and modern tools of teaching beyond chalk and blackboards makes teaching easier and motivating, helping teachers develop a positive attitude towards work.

Who are the partners of SchoolNet Uganda in this project and how does the cooperation work?

Daniel Kakinda: Currently the project is being implemented under the partnership of the following organizations:

• Barclays Bank (CSR) - Revolving fund to support importation of computers. The beneficiaries must be mainly girls' schools.
• Ministry of Education and Sports - Policy guidance, selection of project schools, building for computer refurbishment centre and project home, sponsoring training of teachers, monitoring and evaluation.
• Digital Links (UK) - Sourcing refurbished computers, fund raising, training of local technicians, support for setting up a state-of-art computer refurbishment centre.
• SchoolNet Uganda - Importation and checking of computers, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, sponsoring and conducting teacher and student training, technical training, and ongoing support.
• Project schools -Purchase of computers, release of teachers and students for training, recurrent costs.

Could you please specify the various components of your project?

Daniel Kakinda: Computer refurbishment, advocacy, teacher training, and multimedia digital content development are some of the components. We put in place the Uganda Digital Education Resource Bank, an online repository of resources identified or developed by teachers, that promotes sharing among an online -œcommunity of practice-. We started to organise science fairs and ICT Holiday Camps to develop students' life skills, like self-esteem, collaboration and communication, ICT skills, and competences to use ICT for learning science.

What is your definition of a Private-Public-Civil Society partnership and what are your strategies to create a successful partnership?

Daniel Kakinda: Private - Public - Civil Society partnership means a partnership between a government ministry or department, a private organization, and a not-for-profit organization to solve a problem or address an issue.

There are several strategies to create a successful partnership. You have to identify a real issue that each of the partners should have interest in addressing. Keep all the partners informed of the project progress through regular progress reports. And each of the partners should contribute to the project funding.

What are your experiences so far and what can other countries learn from Uganda?

Daniel Kakinda: The project was launched in June 2006, so it is not yet one year old. The project is now implemented in thirteen girls' schools, and one hundred science teachers have been trained how to integrate Information Communication Technology (ICT) in schools. Thirty students have been directly trained by the project on how to use ICT for science learning. Twelve hundred professionally refurbished computers have been supplied to the schools, with the majority of beneficiaries being girls' schools.

Two science fairs have been organized, where a computer is donated to the first and second exhibitors. The Ministry of Education has allocated funds for the construction of a two-story project home to house the computer refurbishment centre and project resource centre. Twenty science teachers have been trained in creating educational video clips. An online repository - The Uganda Digital Educational Resource Bank - has been established.

Ten other schools have requested to join the project and are to meet the cost of training of their teachers. Some teachers of Arts subjects have expressed worry that they are being left out and have requested that a similar project be started for the Arts subjects.

What are the lessons learned so far? An ICT in education intervention requires a holistic approach. There is need to consider hardware acquisition, capacity building for all the stakeholders, and relevant educational content. Nobody can do it all. Successful interventions require partnerships. Managing a partnership requires constant communication and updating of all the partners on the project's progress. Successful integration of ICT in education must occur with appropriate teacher pedagogical development.