Global software firm Microsoft has joined forces with Rwanda's ministry of education to help transform learning, further innovation and develop employment skills among students and educators in that country.

The partnership, which is planned to be carried out by Microsoft’s signature education initiative ‘Partners in Learning’ and the education ministry, aims to improve access to and use of ICT in primary, secondary and tertiary levels, a statement revealed.

Microsoft's Partners in Learning programme helps teachers and schools around the world improve students’ experiences and skills through technology.

To date, over 13 million students have benefitted from the programme in sub-Saharan Africa.

"At Microsoft, we strongly believe in the role ICT can play in bridging the emerging opportunity divide and guiding youth toward the education, skills and opportunities they need to prosper in the hyper-connected era. Our aim is to help learners and educators throughout the world realise their full potential," said Microsoft country manager for East and southern Africa, Eric Odipo.

Odipo added the partnership is planned to ensure delivery of services and experiences that bring learning to life in and out of the classroom, allowing education leaders to reimagine how technology can modernise learning.

According to the East African nation's ministry of Youth and ICT, only 6% of primary schools and 18% of secondary schools are connected to the internet and the computer to students ratio in secondary schools is currently 40 to 1.

Rwanda's minister of education Dr. Vincent Biruta said, "The ministry is open to embracing new approaches to teaching and learning to further education quality and the use of technology is at the centre of these approaches. I believe the Partners in Learning Agreement will enhance our capacity to address most issues in education quality.”

The education ministry has said that in addition to the partnership with Partners in Learning it plans to engage stakeholders for effective ICT in education strategies.

Meanwhile, Rwanda's government has also announced other projects to help the country's citizens gain easy access to ICT.

According to Didier Nkurikiyimfura, the director general of ICT at the ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT), Rwanda’s government recently signed an agreement (MoU) with Korea Telecom to extend fibre optic cabling to service centres across the country.

"It is a joint venture where KT, besides partaking in the last mile connections will also supply 4G LTE broadband technology using the fibre infrastructure. We project that within the next 3 years Rwanda will be the most connected country in this region with 95% coverage of 4G LTE broadband," he told ITWeb Africa.

Other projects include a ‘Telecentres’ and Techno Pole (new ICT Park) project.

The Techno Pole project is planned to be a new ICT Park built on 63 hectares at a free trade zone. It is planned to accommodate institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Rwanda campus and attract multinational IT companies, said Nkurikiyimfura.