Ministry of education and sports clarifies on mobile digital usage in schools

10 September 2024, 1:10 pm

By Ronald ssemagonja

The Ministry of Education and Sports is the official government body responsible for formulating government policies related to education in the country. Against this backdrop, on 22 August 2024, the Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, launched the Digital Agenda Strategy.

Speaking to the media at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Dr Denis Mugimba, delivered a statement regarding mobile digital usage in schools. “As the responsible Ministry, the principle of digital information security and online learner safety is a top priority in the delivery of digital education interventions for all institutions of learning,” Mugimba said.

Mugimba further stated that the strategy reflects the ministry’s intentions to enhance the use of electronic tools and technologies for the efficient delivery of both learning and the management of quality education and sports for all, in a safe and phased approach.

According to the ministry, until the relevant policy guidelines are in place, handheld devices such as phones and tablets are not permitted for use by learners on school premises. The ministry states that it is the responsibility of the accounting officer in each institution of learning to ensure that the internet provided by the institution does not at any time expose learners to unacceptable content such as pornography, gambling, and the like.

Speaking on the same issue in Kampala, the Director of Kisaasi College School, Hajji Latif Sebagala Ssengendo, said the government should first provide the necessary equipment, such as computers, particularly to schools in remote areas. He also called for proper sensitisation on the subject.