Why empowering support staff digitally is a new imperative for education

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In the rapidly evolving landscape of the 21st-century, digital literacy is no longer solely a requirement for students and teachers. As schools increasingly adopt AI-powered platforms, hybrid learning models and complex administrative software, the role of support staff has become central to operational efficiency and educational success.

Technologically empowering support staff has become essential for modern educational institutions to ensure seamless workflows, increase productivity and foster a truly digital-ready school environment. Education’s transformative power is most effective when it leaves no one behind. By investing in staff’s digital fluency, schools can see tangible returns in increased efficiency, improved task execution and a stronger sense of teamwork across departments," he adds.

Crawford is among the schools that have been extending its digital expertise beyond students to its essential support staff, through a Computer Packages Training Programme sparked in 2023 by former Operations Manager Marcel Coetzee. The program launched with 35 staff members who dedicated their weekends and holidays to mastering digital literacy. The inaugural phase concluded with each participant receiving a Computer Packages Certificate, marking a significant milestone in their professional journeys.

Building on this success, the program entered its second phase in 2026 under the leadership of current Operations Manager Louis Birkenstock. With the full endorsement of Executive Principal Amanda Birkenstock, the initiative was expanded to include newly employed staff. Currently, 38 staff members are enrolled in the latest cohort. Nineteen have already completed their initial training, with the remaining group expected to graduate within the next three weeks.

This initiative is about more than just technical skills. It is about building confidence, fostering mutual respect between departments and ensuring every member of our community is valued and empowered to grow.

The writer is a computing teacher at Crawford International School Kenya