SchoolNet Uganda Technical Service Centre is located on Plot 83 Tufnel Drive, Kamwokya. The technical Service Centre was set up with the following objectives:

• Import and make available all year round, affordable good brand (Dell, Compaq, NEC, IBM etc ) professionally refurbished computers too Uganda schools and individual teachers.
• Sourcing for computer donations locally and internationally to assist underserved schools.
• Provide Technical Training and Support to SchoolNet Uganda IT coordinators, teachers and student support teams.
• Test out and advise schools on different ICT and Internet options.
• Provide industrial training and internship opportunities to students from higher institutions and those in vacation.
• Act as a Centre of Innovation trying and testing alternative appropriate technologies.

Preparing the Computers:

The centre is responsible for preparing refurbished computers imported by SchoolNet Uganda before they are received by the schools.
Preparation of the refurbished computers involves:

• Checking the system units to ascertain the physical availability of all the parts including the RAM chips.
• Physically inspecting all connections (motherboard to all boards, power, drives etc).
• Powering up the system unit and crosschecking the functionality of drives and switches.
• Standardizing system units. SchoolNet Uganda current minimum specifications are PIII, 128MB RAM, 700 MHz speed, 10 GB Hard disk, functional CD ROM Drive, a sound card and a Network Interface Card (NIC). As a policy, no computers below the minimum specifications are supplied to the schools.
• Installation of the Operating system.
• Installation of the productivity tools (Spreadsheets, Word Processors and Databases).
• Testing and cleaning of the monitors, mice and keyboards.
• Generation of inventory reports.

Schools and individual teachers pick their computers from the Technical Service Centre on presentation of their receipts.

Any Uganda school (public or private, primary or secondary) will be served but needs clearance first from SchoolNet Uganda Secretariat on Floor 2, Embassy House.

More information about the affordable high quality professionally refurbished computers can be obtained by filling the online form on the CONTACT US page of this website

Technical Training

SchoolNet Uganda Technical Service Centre organizes and conducts technical training for school IT coordinators, teachers and student support teams. The training aims at building technical capacities of schools to technically sustain the computers in their schools. This does not only reduce the maintenance costs but also reduces the computer downtimes enabling schools to use them innovatively to enhance the teaching and learning process.

Two levels of technical training are provided:

1. Level 1: Basic Technical Training
2. Level 2: Advanced Technical Training.

Level 1: Basic Technical Training

No prerequisite technical knowledge or skills is required for Level 1 training. Any interested teacher or students can take this training after recommendation by the school.

Objectives of the Basic technical Training. 

• To identify tools, equipment and hardware compositions of a computer and name them correctly.
• To learn and practice assembling of computers.
• To learn and practice installation of software (operating systems, application & utility) on a computer.
• To learn and practice computer restoration from software crashes.
• To Learn Computer & peripheral maintenance & troubleshooting.
• To Learn Local Area Network (LAN) construction, maintenance & troubleshooting

Trained teachers and students are expected to cascade the training in their schools, provide the 1st level technical support to their schools be able to report technical problems beyond their capacity correctly to SchoolNet Uganda for remote technical support and assistance

Level 2: Advanced Technical Training.

Teachers and students undergoing this training must have basic technical skills and knowledge. The advanced technical training covers the following areas:

• Linux server configuration and administration.
• Internet content filtering to block pornography.
• Configuring Linux-based content servers and setting up school Intranets.
• Configuring and setting up Linux –based thin-clients.

 SchoolNet Uganda Internship and Volunteer Program.

SchoolNet Uganda Technical Service Centre provides an opportunity for student Internship for both Uganda students and International students.

The Uganda students’ Internship programme provides Uganda students with an opportunity for IT skills development, work place experience, increased visibility and work placement.

The International students’ Internship programme provides International students with an opportunity for international working & cultural experience and North-South skills transfer.

The International students’ Internship programme provides International students with an opportunity for international working & cultural experience and North-South skills transfer.
SchoolNet Uganda has been able to host and to send international volunteers to other countries.

The Uganda students’ Internship programme provides Uganda students with an opportunity for IT skills development, work place experience, increased visibility and work placement.

The International students’ Internship programme provides International students with an opportunity for international working & cultural experience and North-South skills transfer.
SchoolNet Uganda has been able to host and to send international volunteers to other countries. Past international volunteers have included:

• Stephen Klopp and Ali Alidina (VSO volunteers from Canada) hosted by SchoolNet Uganda (June 18, 2002 – Dec 18, 2002).
• Godman and Pitman (Volunteers from USA) hosted by SchoolNet Uganda (Jan 2003 –April 2003).
• Clays Brenda and Alperin Juan (VSO volunteers) hosted by SchoolNet Uganda (Jul 2003 –Dec 2003).
• George Appiah (World Education Corps volunteer from Ghana) hosted by SchoolNet Uganda (Aug 2005 – Jun 2006).
• Ahmed Ndaula (World Education Corps volunteer from SchoolNet Uganda) hosted by iEARN-USA in New York, US (Aug 2005 – Jun 2006).
• Eddie Kigozi (World Education Corps volunteer from SchoolNet Uganda) hosted by SchoolNet Uganda (Aug 2005 – Jun 2006).

A number of SchoolNet Uganda former student Interns are now placed in positions of responsibility:

• Ahmed Ndaula is working as technical Director, UgaBYTES Initiative.
• Richard Matovu is currently a Masters student in software engineering at Makerere University.
• Geoffrey Ntabazi Nsumba is now Administrative Assistant in Academic Registrar’s office, Nkumba University.

More information about the student internship programme can be obtained by filling the online form on the CONTACT US page of this website.

SchoolNet Uganda Technical Service Centre is headed by Eng. Allen Nansubuga Ssebandeke, SchoolNet Uganda Technical Director.