4 main Reasons why Tech-driven Education is still at a Snail Speed in Africa (Infographic)

The 21^st century education is a technology-driven education and nothing can change that. It is not only driving the present; it is going to also design the future of education. This is why the global education community is fast embracing it.

But unfortunately, Africa is a far cry. Technology-driven education in this part of the world is still moving at a snail speed. And you wonder why!

Here are 4 major reasons for the snail speed of tech-driven education integration in Africa. Efforts must be made to correct them.

#1. African Leadership Failure

Africa on a general note is bedeviled with a leadership failure, well characterized with lack of foresight and sound judgment. A continent well known for its religious activism, we only ‘pray’ and never plan. This leadership failure has robbed on every facet of the African life, including our educational fortunes.

It is this same leadership failure that makes it difficult for our top guns in education to redefine the future of African education in line with the global trend of a technology-driven education. Every effort to flow along with the global trend of digitized learning is always frustrated by the myopic men in the ministry (Ministry of Education). Checkout this post to understand more.

#2. Ignorance of its Relevance

Another key reason why African schools are fast resisting technology-driven education is as a result of total ignorance of its relevance to today’s teaching and learning process.

Out of ignorance, many school managers feel it’s a mere white elephant project integrating digital literacy in their schools. To them it’s both expensive and irrelevant.

But the truth is that aside the initial installation and training cost, technology-driven education is more cost-effective than the conventional system still being in use today. Coming to relevance, the future of our today’s learners are only made relevant by a learning process driven by technology. Nothing can ever be done again in the nearest future without technology. So, failure to integrate technology in schools today is tantamount to depriving our students of a future bright.

#3. Fixed Mindset resisting change

The problem of fixed mindset is another great challenge to effective run on a technology-driven education in Africa. Here in Africa, we loathe change like leprosy. There is this unfounded fear of how technology integration can affect how we do things in the past.

A lot of school managers have this feeling that since they have been getting result from the conventional system, of what need then is technology integration. Such is the problem of fixed mindset- no quest for growth!

#4. Techphobia among Teachers

To integrate technology-driven education in schools, teachers must be at the forefront. Unfortunately, over 80% of African teachers are techphobia. At any time you mention words like technology, digital literacy etc, some teachers fall sick.

This could be as a result of their background- one that has no mention of technology. And such teachers do everything within their reach to resist it.

If Africa must make progress and rescue the future of her children, technology-driven education must be integrated in our schools. And for that to work, the foregoing factors must be addressed holistically as well as be corrected.

It’s time to lift Africa from its quagmire!