BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Government, through the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) and the Ministry of Education and Training has given an opportunity to 50 teachers to be educated on artificial intelligence (AI).
The AI course will be done by these educators from December 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025 under the ‘certified digital teacher’ programme offered by the Digital Educator Global Academy (DEGA). The course will be done virtually by the educators, through the help of the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the course being accredited by the Arizona State University.
This transpired today (Monday, November 18, 2024) at the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Conference Room in Mbabane. This was during a press conference where some of the teachers who will be part of the programme were unveiled.
Five of the educators were present when the unveiling was done. The event was graced by the presence of Minister of ICT Savannah Maziya, Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo, and Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs. Others present included Members of Parliament (MPs) such as Mhlume MP Sifiso Magagula and Princess Nkosungumenzi.
Officials from the Ministries involved were also present during the event. Also present were some of the teachers, coming from different schools across the country. The educators who were present included Israel Tfwala from Assembly of God Primary School in Siteki, Simphiwe Magagula from Motshane Primary School, Bhekisisa Ngwenya from Masibekela High School in Siphocosini, Nomsa Thwala from St Joseph’s High School in Mzimpofu (Mafutseni), and Zinhle Langa from Lobamba Lomdzala High School in Mahlanya.
Members of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) such as President Mbongwa Dlamini and Secretary General Lot Vilakati were present, in support of the teachers. Minister Savannah Maziya said the training of the educators was one of the outcomes of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Eswatini Government and the Government of the UAE. She said the teachers to be trained were drawn from both the rural and urban areas to address the widening digital divide between Emaswati living in urban and rural areas.
Maziya said the aim was to ensure that the Government In Your Hand (GIYH) initiative was widely accessed by all Emaswati, exposing them to a robust digital foundation. Minister Nxumalo also thanked Minister Maziya for coming up with such an initiative because even his Ministry was now benefitting. Nxumalo said His Majesty King Mswati III was passionate about technological matters. According to Nxumalo, the king wanted the country to fully embrace the digital developments because he believed they were the ones that were going to develop the nation.