Distance Learning Alternatives

Tanzania’s Ubongo recently launched its Toolkits platform, a large library of quality, African-made early learning materials and educational resources for pre-teens. Meanwhile, in Liberia education officials say they have learned from the Ebola epidemic and are now able to deliver better content, faster, using radio. On 16 March as soon as schools across Liberia closed, authorities launched a radio schooling initiative to bridge the education gap. Within 2 weeks, the first lessons were aired on radio stations nationwide. Today, some 32 stations now broadcast several prerecorded lessons a day, each lasting half an hour, catering to different educational levels. Meanwhile, Google has pledged $10m to a Distance Learning Fund that will help support educational organisations to provide remote learning opportunities through the use of technology. The fund is part of Google’s $50m philanthropic arm, Google.org, which seeks to assist global organisations that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.