TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Africans Are In Dire
Need Of 21st Century Skills
By Eugene Wanekeya
O
ur world as we know it has shifted
very fast thanks to technology.
Unfortunately for most, especially
in Africa, this fast shift has caught us
unaware. Technology skills that were
relevant in the late 90s to early 2000s
following the dot-com or Y2K revolution
are no longer relevant in 2018 simply
because the internet as well as computing
keeps evolving faster than most users can
keep up.
This is no doubt one of the reasons for the
very high unemployment rate in Africa.
Whereas Africa continues to produce
university graduates, majority of them are
equipped with skills that are outdated and
not relevant for the current job market.
Technical tasks that required human
input, and required someone to spend at
least four years of university education
to master, are now executed by computer
software. Unfortunately, in Africa, the
design and use of such problem solving
software is seldom part of the curriculum.
We therefore spend time and resources
producing skill sets that have been
rendered redundant by computers yet keep
complaining of high unemployment rates.
Kenya’s government seems to have
realized this albeit too late and is
making efforts to mitigate this for future
generations by introducing the new 2-6-
6-3 education curriculum. Termed as a
competence-based curriculum, this new
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system is going to be skill-based and not
knowledge-based like its predecessor the
8-4-4 system. The jury is still out on this
as it is just in its pilot phase. opportunity to increase their literacy in
global technology through combining
education, technology and learning in the
classroom.
Whereas the new curriculum will benefit
future generations, the question begs,
what about the present generations? The
simple answer is “21st Century Skills.” These certifications are meant to equip
teachers with the ability to impart learners
with the much needed 21st Century Skills
that are meant to turn them into problem
solvers and job creators as opposed to
mere job seekers.
The term 21st Century Skills is generally
used to refer to core competencies such
as collaboration, digital literacy, critical
thinking and problem-solving. These are
competencies that should be instilled in
all students in all levels of education if
they are to thrive in today’s world.
Keeping in mind that technology has
become a part of our everyday lives, it is
vital for every student to understand how
to function in environments that require
the use of computers and the internet.
The same is also a requirement for their
instructors. ICT teachers from various
schools in Mombasa display their
Microsoft Cer