The Case of SchoolNet Namibia/Operations/Activities/Training

Training

On initial deployment at a school, SchoolNet volunteers trained 4-6 learners and 1-2 teachers on basic system administration.

Training of trainers continued at a rapid pace, with volunteer trainers deployed to more than 40 schools in 2005, on a demand-driven basis. The volunteers would stay at the schools for anywhere between 3 and 8 weeks. SchoolNet established a satellite workshop and training centre in Ondangwa, north-central Namibia, in 2004. By mid-2006, SchoolNet had established technical service centres in Rundu and Gobabis, covering other regions with large numbers of remote, under-served schools.

These decentralised service centres made local training and technical service support more cost effective and efficient. Since the majority of schools served by SchoolNet were in northern Namibia, centres such as in Ondangwa saved teachers and learners the time and expense of travelling hundreds of kilometres to the capital city.

Training was available for teachers, learners, help desk staff, technical service staff and volunteers, and others in a variety of forms. Topics covered basic IT and software application literacy, installation, technical service, helpdesk support training, LPI and system admin opportunities. Web design training was offered to 2nd and 3rd year College of the Arts media students - including XML concepts and PHP programming. SchoolNet offered achievement and training certificates for many of these training opportunities.

In support of the training activities, SchoolNet Namibia produced Hai Ti! (described above under Educational Resources), with the purpose of educating Namibian teachers, learners and the public on ICTs (specifically free software, its usefulness in education, the internet and how SchoolNet enables access).