{Young people with the right digital skills are the future of the Rwanda economy. ICT is a fundamental aspect of every transaction and interaction in Rwanda today. However, young people can’t build their digital skills without support through training and education. There exists the theory of the ‘digital native’, someone who can intuitively learn computer skills simply by picking up a tablet or laptop, however this is proved untrue. }
Damien O’Sullivan, CEO of ICDL Foundation, has said, “the new digital divide is a divide between those who have skills for their lifestyle, and those who have skills for the workplace.’ Just because a young person can use a smartphone or tablet, doesn’t mean they can write a report, complete a spreadsheet or use ICT securely.
Even though digital skills are essential to almost every job these days, the actual abilities of employees and young people are, in many cases, shockingly low. For example, a recent study in Germany revealed that only 20% of respondents could successfully apply a paragraph style in a word document. A study in Italy found that 42% of young people were not aware of the security risks that can be involved in wireless internet access, while research in Australia revealed that 45% of young respondents were only ‘rudimentary’ users of digital technologies.
Students at Nu-Vision High School are setting the standard for the future of digital skills in Rwanda by becoming the first and youngest students in the country to be ICDL certified. In July students were presented certificates for having successfully completed examinations in 3 modules, by ICDL Africa General Manager Mr. Séamus McGinley. Boys and girls aged between 12-16 years old received certificates for Computer Essentials, Word Processing and Spreadsheets. “This was an exciting achievement for both staff and students at Nu-Vision High School.” said the Principal, Mr Dube Ndumiso.
Mr. Séamus McGinley commended the school, its staff and students for being the pioneers of ICDL in Rwandan schools and recognising the need for international computer qualifications in the curriculum, complementing the existing range of courses available at Nu-Vision. Futhermore, the Principal added that ‘There is an increase in demand from our students for ICDL courses, and in response, the school is now offering additional modules like Online Essentials and IT Security. During the course of third term, more students will sit for ICDL modules.”
Rwanda continues to be a shining light for digital literacy in Africa and ICDL Africa looks forward to more students bridging the digital divide like those at Nu-Vision.
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