Why computer literacy is important how does knowledge of using computer helps you as a student?

By Ruth Yohannes (Sahar Intern)

Computer learning programs give students the opportunity to expand their horizons to learn skills they would not have the opportunity to acquire in the traditional classroom. Computer proficiency is increasingly indispensable in every job sector. For this reason,  it’s important to make sure that learning centers are available to students, regardless of what neighborhood, city, or country they come from.

The computer literacy program was born out of Sahar’s dedication to empowering girls and helping them be more independent. In fact, it meets a high demand in high schools across Balkh province, in the northern part of Afghanistan. Sahar recognizes that Afghan girls need to be equipped with a strong set of skills in order to enter a competitive workforce where they are disadvantaged because of social stigma. The goal is to provide a model to be applied in all schools across Afghanistan by the Ministry of Education.

First opened in 2011, the computer centers served about 3,224 girls to date. They offer a 3-month long training, at the end of which the students are awarded a certificate of proficiency. Participants are chosen based on their grades and English skills. The program has been met with enthusiasm by teachers and students alike. “I am so happy that I participated in this class, because this program helped me very much with my school lessons. Before this class, I didn’t even know how to turn on the computer.”, says Fatima, a student from Roshana Balkhi High School.

In addition to interning at Sahar, I volunteer for a Seattle based elementary school also offers computer training to elevate student opportunities. Yesler Terrace computer center provides the Central District neighborhood youth a space where they can reflect on their surroundings. They have created the Yesler Youth media, which produces mini-documentaries on the unique lives of their community-home to folks from a wide range of ethnic background. The program allows them to be creative, and to explore STEM projects that are not available to them at school. “I like using the computers here because I don’t have one at home”, says Maraki, a 5th grader at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School. “I was able to use it to make a project for school”.

Computer learning centers provide opportunities for students who do not have the resources to use them at home or at school. Afia, a former student of the computer center in Gawhar Khaton High School, says “now, when I want to work for a company, I don’t have any problems. I can do administrative and financial work on the computer”.

During the last decades the government and agencies have invested heavily in the integration of computer in education and information and communication technology (ICT) towards advancing the educational sector. The use of computer has imparted positively in education and other related areas. The computer literate students have shown improved outcomes in multiple ways, a lot of which shows up in their confidence to advance their career. Let’s first understand as to what is computer literacy in the context of education.

Computer literacy is the knowledge and ability to efficiently use computer. It can also refer to the comfort level someone has in using the computer and its application in solving specific problem. It involves being able to operate the computer efficiently without an aid and manipulate the software associated with it. This being a part of school curriculum is important.

Improving education quality is a priority for most developing countries. Policy makers agree that such improvements could lead to structural shifts in future work force productivity and boost opportunities. Educators are pushing greater computer literacy requirements since student exposure needs to be repeated for better understanding. Computer literacy is a crucial component for success at a higher education institution or a job, since the student interacts with the school, the faculty, co-workers and the community by using the computer. In certain situations students cannot complete their coursework or search for online solutions without this competency.

Following points bring out as to why computer literacy is necessary for today’s students:

1. Improved Communication – Communication plays an essential role in the life as a student as well as in life beyond that. If one thinks of the various modern ways to communicate, there is always a level of computer literacy involved. Presentations in the class, ability to share one’s ideas and thoughts with the larger world needs computer literacy as a basic tool.
2. Boosts confidence – There is no doubt that wherever one goes for any work, the interaction with computers is omnipresent. A person without computer literacy finds himself at sea in such situations and feels himself inferior to others, even if he has a superior subject knowledge. It is, therefore, very important for students to be offered computer literacy as part of curriculum standard.
3. Supports entrepreneurship – Computer literacy and entrepreneurship are directly related. Computer literacy is a great leveller and ensures that anyone from anywhere can research her thoughts as well as execute the same. It also offers great flexibility to start small and expand with success and time.
4. Enhance employment opportunities – A primary objective of education in developing world is to help students get a job after completion of education. Today’s jobs require some level of understanding. As the complexity of jobs is increasing and size of manpower is being crunched, the person who has better computer skills, certainly holds an edge. Also, there are certain jobs where a basic level of operating devices is essential.

The government has been taking many initiatives to bring computer literacy to every student. However, issues like resource crunch inhibit it sometimes and that’s where non-government players (NGOs) play an important and constructive role. Pradeep Richa educate foundation is one such NGO, which has been ensuring that students are imparted necessary computer literacy.