EFFECTS OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) POLICIES ON SCHOOLS IN DEVELOPING AFRICAN NATIONS: REVIEW OF BOTSWANA.

The recent trend in society and education, especially following the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the outbreak of the global Covid- 19 pandemic has led many institutions of learning to shift from onsite to online, although unprepared. Meanwhile, policy is a crucial factor which needs to be considered and direct such transition from onsite to online. However, this seems not to be the case especially during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, Botswana is considered one of the most successful African nations in terms of ICT in schools. Hence, this study attempts to explore ICT policies as they concern schools in developing African nations, with emphasis on Botswana. A review method was adopted for the study, thus, relevant literature was reviewed. Meanwhile, the study was underpinned by the Siemens' connectivism theory. The findings of the study from reviewed literature showed that several factors have been put in place to enhance ICTs and ensure the implementation of ICT policies in Botswana, however, digital divide between urban and rural Botswana constitutes inequality. The study recommends that policies with regards to ICT should be reviewed in order to ensure that they are used in bridging rural-urban digital divide. Thus, benchmarking should be considered to ensure best practices across the globe. In addition, inclusivity in education in the case of ensuring and promoting ICT development in rural areas of African nations should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]