Challenges Hindering ECD Centres’ Use of Electronic Records: A Case of Gweru Urban, Zimbabwe

Computerisation has led to rapid and many changes in the way educational systems operate. ECD centres keep a wide range of records for a variety of reasons. Consequently, it is the responsibility of all ECD centres to have a comprehensive records management focus, on the analysis of the information in the records and the medium on which the information is kept. Despite the fact that electronic records are generally easier to access and share, easier to edit and environment friendly, it seemed ECD centres in Gweru urban lagged behind in technological development by avoiding to become paperless in document recording. Progressive institutions are going digital, but many child centres seemed stuck, doing the bulk of record keeping on paper and by hand. A case study involving 14 ECD care-givers and five ECD administrators in Gweru urban was conducted to determine causes of the very minimal use of ICT in record keeping and to obtain participant views on how the perceived limited use of ICT in record keeping by ECD teachers and administrators could be attended to. Data were generated via open- ended questionnaires and one focus group at one ECD centre. The Qualitative paradigm guided the study. The study was an explanatory case study design involving 14 ECD care-givers and 5 ECD administrators in Gweru urban. The findings of the study indicated that while some participants cherished keeping of ECD records electronically, there was a perceived minimum use of ICT in record keeping at ECD centres and opinions were divided on the usefulness of keeping e-records at ECD level. Most centres would not give heed to the call for electronic ECD records due to several perceived prohibitive variables, among which were absence of required resources and lack of ITC skills by ECD caregivers. Collaboration between stakeholders to promote growth of electronic ECD centres, adequate promotion of knowledge on benefits of managing ECD records electronically and training for users and developers of ECD record keepers, were main recommendations of the study.