Since the opening of our TSS (Technical Secondary School) in 2014, Padri Vjeko Centre now offers the subjects of Computer Science, Construction, Carpentry and Tailoring to senior secondary students. Within the Computer Science section of the school, the increased use of ICT (Information Communication Technology) changed many things at our school.

This meant that the school had to buy new computers and to install a network to be used in the teaching program and also in the day to day activities at Padri Vjeko Centre.

In our Computer Science classes (S4, S5, and S6) each student has his/her own computer for use in the daily activities. Here in Rwanda is not usual that in a secondary school each student in class has his/her own computer for use.

For that reason, it appears that our director of Padri Vjeko Centre Fra IVICA Peric helped the Government of Rwanda with their plan to provide 'one laptop per child'.

The computers at our school are placed in the computer classrooms, which enables much greater use of ICTs to achieve ‘higher level’ skills. Rather than placing computers in separate computer laboratories (indeed, even fewer computers in classrooms encourages more use than a greater numbers of computers located in separate computer labs). Because of this, the increased use of laptops by both teachers and students contributes to the students' motivation for learning.

As we are a technical school, the wireless internet availability helps us as teachers to make more research and to keep updated in technology. And the students are able to use the internet to complete their learning - in how to use internet. to access the web, to create emails, to download information and make more research about their courses.

Apart from Computer Science, the other sections - Tailoring, Construction and Carpentry, also have been given time to access our computers.

In our daily work activities, as school staff, we use computers for notes preparation, to design our projects and competency charts and to communicate. However, some of us have yet to improve our computers skills.

Having ICT at our school empowers our both teachers and learners by transforming highly teacher-dominated theoretical teaching to a more student centered learning process. We welcome and value our ICT at Padri Vjeko Centre!

Edited by Valerie Kae Ken