WINDHOEK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Namibia is advancing its digital education agenda through public-private partnerships, with the opening of a new computer laboratory on Wednesday at Petrus Ganeb Secondary School in Uis, a small mining town in the Erongo Region, northwest of the country.
The laboratory, funded by the Swakop Uranium Foundation, which is supported by the Chinese-invested Husab Mine, is equipped with 20 computers, a printer and networking infrastructure.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp said the facility would help learners gain practical digital skills and support the government's wider efforts to modernize education.
Steenkamp said partnerships with companies and development partners are important in narrowing gaps in access to learning technology, particularly for schools outside major urban centers.
"It is through purposeful partnerships such as this that we can bridge that gap and bring meaningful change to the lives of our learners," she said.
Namibia has been seeking to strengthen digital learning in schools.
In 2024, the country launched "The Digital School" pilot project to integrate digital tools into teaching and learning, train teachers and support the development of a national strategy for digital education.
Steenkamp said the Swakop Uranium Foundation has contributed computers and printers to schools across the country from 2024 to 2026, adding that such support should translate into improved learning outcomes. ■