By Kenneth Wilo
Zimbabwe’s schools digitalisation programme received a major boost on Monday after UNICEF handed over 815 laptops, 708 projectors and 2,112 tablets to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, strengthening efforts to expand equitable access to quality digital learning.
The ICT devices will be distributed to 113 disadvantaged schools across seven districts in Manicaland and Matabeleland South provinces, targeting underserved and hard-to-reach communities where access to technology-enabled education remains limited.
The handover aligns with Government priorities to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into teaching and learning under the Presidential National Computerisation Programme and broader education reforms anchored in the National ICT Policy (2022–2027) and the ICT Policy for Primary and Secondary Education. These policies prioritise universal computer literacy, equitable access to digital tools and the mainstreaming of ICTs across the education system.
“This handover marks an important milestone in our collective effort to ensure that every child, regardless of where they live, has access to quality digital learning,” said Fiachra McAsey, UNICEF Zimbabwe Representative Acting-In-Charge.
“By complementing earlier investments in solar power and offline digital platforms with ICT devices, we are enabling schools to move from access to effective use of technology in the classroom. This is about building resilient, inclusive and future-ready education systems that leave no learner behind.”
The initiative was supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and builds on earlier investments in school solarisation funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as well as the installation of offline servers hosting the Learning Passport, a free digital learning platform. These interventions ensure reliable power supply and access to quality learning content, even in low- or no-connectivity environments, helping to narrow the digital divide between urban and rural schools.
By supplying ICT devices, UNICEF and its partners are completing the infrastructure needed to fully implement digital learning and maximise the use of the Learning Passport at school level. Officials said the strategic selection of beneficiary schools ensures that previous investments translate into meaningful learning outcomes for pupils in disadvantaged communities.
Welcoming the support, Taungana Ndoro, Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, said the intervention directly advances Zimbabwe’s vision of a modern and inclusive education system.
“This provision of essential ICT tools is not merely an allocation of devices, but a pivotal investment in empowering both our learners and educators in underserved communities,” Ndoro said.
“The handover represents a critical phase in the Government’s deliberate journey to bridge the digital divide and ensure that every child, in every province, is equipped with the skills and resources to thrive in the 21st century.”
Ndoro added that Government remains committed to the sustainable and effective integration of technology into the curriculum, building on solar power and digital platforms to produce future-ready learners.
To ensure long-term impact, structured teacher training will follow the distribution of devices, focusing on the pedagogical integration of digital tools and practical classroom application. Two user manuals have also been developed to guide device management, basic maintenance and the application of blended learning approaches.
GPE Regional Manager for East and Southern Africa, Belay Addise, said access to quality digital education is essential for skills development in a rapidly changing world.
“This handover marks an important moment in transforming Zimbabwe’s education system through the effective use of technology in classrooms,” Addise said. “GPE is dedicated to building resilient and inclusive education systems that prepare all learners for the future.”
Education analysts say the latest intervention reinforces Zimbabwe’s policy-driven push towards digital learning, but note that sustained investment in connectivity, infrastructure and teacher capacity will remain critical to fully realise the benefits of school computerisation.
With the UNICEF-GPE partnership, Zimbabwe’s education sector continues to move closer to its Vision 2030 goal of a digitally empowered, inclusive and globally competitive education system.
