Issues in Computer-Oriented Innovations in Zimbabwean Education
Kedmon Nyasha Hungwe · 2021
This chapter examines developments in computer-oriented innovations and raises a number of issues pertinent to the assessment of the new technology in the context of Zimbabwe. It considers the historical context in which the new technology is emerging; an assessment of the response of the educational system to the bottom-up emergence of the computer as an educational tool will be made; and the expectations associated with computer technologies will be assessed within the framework of national development goals. The problems of narrowing the gap in access to technology between Zimbabwean communities appear to be as intractable as those of bridging the North-South gap. The diminishing economic prospects facing the country, particularly since 1985, make it virtually impossible to anticipate state intervention in favor of the poorer schools. Ultimately the hope for the poor is more rapid economic growth, and indications are that the main constraints to that growth have their origins outside the educational system.