E-LEARNING WELCOME FOR ZAMBIA BUT TOO EXPENSIVE, CLAIMS ACADEMIC

SOURCE: http://www.balancingact-africa.com

Electronic Learning (E-learning) is good for the developing countries like
Zambia but it is too expensive for the Zambian people, claimed lecturer
Billy Kahota, writes News Update's Zambia correspondent Timothy Kasolo.

In a contribution to a monthly debate organised by the Computer Society of
Zambia (CSZ) with the title "E-learning for Zambia - is it a dream or
reality?", Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies (ZCAS) Lecturer Billy
Kahota said that though E-learning in Zambia has been welcomed it is very
expensive for the Zambian people to pay for E-learning.

Kahota who is studying a Masters in Internet systems development with
University of Portsmouth through E-learning explained that E-learning is new
to Africa and it should be made cheaper so that a lot of students are
exposed to the latest technology and improve their qualifications through
E-learning.

And Computer Association of Zambia (CSZ) President Milner Makuni said that
Zambia as a country is facing a lot of challenges in training Information
Technology (IT) professionals but due to lack of institutions offering IT
professional courses the IT industries is lugging behind. Makuni said in
Africa there is a Virtual University that is providing online education
through the use of E-learning technologies."Senegal, Uganda and Kenya are
some of the countries that are proving the use of E-learning education,"
Makuni explained.

Levy Lwesekala, Zambia's Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) IT department said that
the cost of the terminals and computers should made cheaper and that
depended on the Zambia government ICT policy direction. He noted that
E-learning is more than ready in Zambia and that it will provide a chance
for the high school graduates that are denied places in the Universities and
Colleges to give them a chance to do their education through E-learning.