Establishment of good Computer Labs and Delivery of Competitive Computer Lessons under the Open Schools Program

Open Schools Program is an ICT initiative by XITICOM Holding Company Limited, aimed at building synergies with Education Institutions in Uganda to ensure that learners attain 21^st Century Computer literacy and IT skills through development of sustainable computer laboratories and comprehensive ICT curricula. The Open Schools program is supported by a number of partners, including the MoES, UCC, MTN Uganda, BUL, APTECH, and CRESTANKS. The program is currently focusing on classes at Primary School Level and Secondary School Level.

How the schools benefit from this program:

• XITICOM provides custom made furniture depending on the size of the school’s computer laboratory building.
• XITICOM provides standard computer system units, maintaining a ratio of 1:1, meaning one student one computer per class, plus power stabilizers of 1000 watts, installation cables, projector and projector screen, computer activity chats and other equipment as may be recommended/required.
• XITICOM provides / enrolls two qualified ICT Teachers. The teachers are retooled, deployed and paid by XITICOM.
• XITICOM provides computer repair and maintenance services as required. The school shall not repair, modify or adjust the provided equipment or any part thereof without the provider’s prior written consent.
• XITICOM provides standard lesson syllabi, schemes and lesson plan templates to aid the delivery of quality computer lessons.
• XITICOM provides ICT / Computer Studies textbooks for the learners.
• XITICOM conducts mid and end of term assessments in ICT / Computer Studies and presents student results/ reports to the school administration.
• After introducing the computer laboratory in your school, XITICOM facilitates an ICT Club to represent the school in the open schools computer science events at regional and national level.

As an Educational Service Provider, XITICOM takes the privilege of helping schools with dozens of specific recommendations regarding planning, evaluation, policies and procedures, facility and environment, lab staff, computers, software and assistive technology and information resources. Depending upon the school, the nature of technology initiative and the physical space available, different lab models are considered. Recommendation of Universal Design, means that rather than design a lab facility for the average user, it is designed for pupils with a broad range of abilities..

The Curricullum

For secondary schools, the existing Curricullum by NCDC will be adopted and comprehensive, rich teaching and learning content created for schools to utilise.

For Primary Schools, XITICOM has developed a curriculum referred to as, ‘Comprehensive Computer Science Education for Primary Schools’, which emphases nurturing clarity of thought and learning of concepts associated with various tools, rather than just the usage skills of a specific tool.

More on the Primary School Curriculum

This curriculum explicitly includes topics to facilitate and improve thinking skills, such as stepwise thinking and logical reasoning, which are not subject specific. The treatment of topics assumes that computer studies is taught as an independent subject, yet, the curriculum connects the topics to other subjects and to real world applications explicitly.

Curricullum Objectives:

1. To develop in pupils an interest in and enjoyment of the many uses of computers.
2. To develop in pupils an awareness of Computer Technology and its role society.
3. To help pupils acquire computer skills and knowledge which can be applied in future training.
4. To encourage creativity and logical thinking.

The Pri, Sch Assessment Objectives:

The pupils should be able to:

1. Identify the hardware components and software of a computer.
2. Generate and manipulate documents (Word Processing)
3. Carry out simple mail merge
4. Create spreadsheets and apply the various inbuilt functions
5. Demonstrate sound knowledge and understanding of the Operating System and use its utilities
6. Create presentations
7. Use the internet and email

It is hoped that if the children have a good foundation of ICT literacy at primary school, in future the National curricula for higher levels will be revised to build on the foundation and instead delve deeper into the currently competitive topics and on-demand ICT skills at the world level, as opposed to the current status where the same basics of computing such as word procesing taught at Primary level are repeated at O level and A level

Our Computer Textbooks

Our computer textbooks provide a good, age-appropriate treatment of any given topic, with detailed explanations for topics in formats appropriate for different age groups.

Program Cost and Fees

The current fees-for-service structure provides distinct world class computer laboratory resources at a charge of UGX 50,000 (Fifty Thousand Shillings Only) per child per term. This fee caters for all the benefits to the school outlined above (i.e provision of digital computer literacy learning skills through establishing a sustainable standard computer laboratory, providing computer supplies and availing trained computer lab personnel). At the point of signing a contract with a particular school, a special payment consideration for the school can be negotiated and an instalment payment schedule drawn.

School Responsibilities and Obligations

1. Reach an agreement and sign a renewable 7 year contract for provision of ICT services by XITICOM Under the Contracts Act, 2010
2. Provide the Computer Laboratory Space / Building, Window Curtains, Electricity Source, and Lunch for Staff
3. Provide security to all items/deliverables and mitigate/prevent any external problem that might compromise the state of the computer laboratory inclusive of literature/material, equipment among others.
4. To promote parents awareness of the many benefits of computer literacy in a modern society
5. To understand the objectives of the program at to promote computer skills among its staff
6. Collect the computer fee from all students and pay agreed sums of money to XITICOM as per the payment schedule in the contract.
7. To full fill the terms of contract and cooperate with XITICOM at all times in the execution of the terms of the contract.

ABOUT XITICOM

XITICOM HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED is a registered private company operating its business in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Xiticom team consists of dedicated specialists with extensive background in developing and managing financial applications, information security, regulatory and financial compliance as well as customer support.

In Uganda, XITICOM’s principle place of business is at plot 107 Buganda Road, AFRICOURTS Building, Fourth Floor P. O. Box 12709, Kampala – Uganda, under registration number 80020001093619.

In 2016, XITICOM, (formerly known as Citicom Networks) introduced the National Schools Network Initiative which was recommended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda.

Retooling of ICT Teachers for Deployment

As noted above, the Open Schools program needs ICT/Computer Studies teachers and ICT technicians to work in the various schools which may not be having necessary human resource to deliver the stipulated curriculum.  The teachers’ and computer technicians’ salaries will paid by XITICOM itself as part of the program, and not the school.

XITICOM has thus setup a training centre on Fourth Floor – AFRICOURTS Building, Buganda Road, where refresher training will be conducted for teachers to acquire the necessary tools before being deployed.

If you are interested in this program, you can register though this form and we will contact you when the training program starts arises.