@Alicewangechi
With the global demand for coding skills on the rise, students from Mugoiri Girls High School have benefited from a coding programme that will give them a competitive edge and set them far ahead in the African continent.
In December last year, President William Ruto announced that his administration would incorporate coding in the curriculum for learners in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
This followed an ambitious drive by the government to digitise its operations, even as the global job market continues to shift towards virtual and technology-driven roles.
Kodris Africa, an organisation that teaches young learners how to code and which the government is partnering with to roll out coding in schools, has jumped ahead and started the programme at Mugoiri Girls High School.
The school has been turned into a model institution for coding using a curriculum approved by the Education ministry.
With more than 2,000 students, the school has established itself as an academic giant that had all its computer studies students scoring an A in the 2022 KCSE exam.
Early last month, the school received a standing ovation at the prestigious Flair Summit 2024 held in London after showcasing its coding projects.
According to chief principal Susan Mundia, the students excel in technical subjects including computer studies.
Coding has particularly taken the school by storm, with majority of the students yearning to learn the skill that would make them more competitive in the job market.
“Coding empowers our students with problem solving skills, creativity and critical thinking capabilities. We are doing this with the aim of enhancing their abilities essential for success in the modern world,” Mundia said.
Coding skills open doors to diverse career opportunities and equip the students with the tools to thrive in the digital era.
Speaking during the launch of the programme on Friday, Kodris Africa CEO Mugumo Munene said the programme has set Mugoiri Girls ahead of other secondary learning institutions in the continent.
The programme, he said, is first of its kind in the continent that he said is lagging behind as other continents lunge forward.
“Coding is the new language in the offing. The first world has mastered it and has made it compulsory in schools, especially in China and India, but in Africa, this is a pioneering initiative,” he said.
Munene said in July last year, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation recognised the Ministry of Education and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development for approving content for teaching coding.
“So Mugoiri, you should celebrate yourself that you are making the first step towards pioneering in that area.”
Common Wealth Business Women Africa chairperson Pauline Warui it is unfortunate that many young Kenyans get to learn how to use computers after completing their secondary school studies.
“How can we collectively bridge this? Its making a lot of children who are geniuses miss global opportunities. And this is what we are here to do,” she said, noting that through partnerships, they have plans to ensure more than one million girls are trained to code.
Digital strategist Dennis Itumbi said every Kenyan child deserves a chance to learn coding, saying it is the language of the future.
“That future is now. If the West discovered Facebook and Instagram, local children can produce the next generational social campaigns and platforms. The Ministries of Education and ICT should find a way of expediting these studies in partnership with Safaricom, Kodris Africa and CWB- Africa," he said.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen celebrated the school for the strides it has made in digital studies, saying that level of ICT competence and awareness has not been reported in any other public school.
He said coding should be compulsory as part of the national curriculum as it will give learners the opportunities to become global citizens.
“If we want to bridge the existing equality gap, it is for us to improvise and give all our children the opportunity to become global citizens.”