UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

12/01/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/01/2021 07:11

UNESCO and Huawei launch new project to enhance the digital transformation of schools in Africa

The UNESCO-Huawei project on Technology-enabled Open Schools for All was launched online on 25 November 2021 with the aim of enhancing the digital transformation of schools in Africa. The project supports Member States to design, pilot test and scale up Technology-enabled Open School Systems that can connect school- and home-based learning to ensure the continuity and quality of learning during crises as well as during normal circumstances. The event was attended by Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, three high-level ministerial representatives, Directors of field offices of UNESCO, Huawei representatives and representatives of country project teams. A speaker from GSMA was invited to share knowledge on connectivity, and representatives of African Union and ADEA were invited to engage with the key partners in Africa.

The UNESCO-Huawei project not only responds to the immediate challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also aims to reimagine and build the digital futures of school education. "This project aims to help African countries find endogenous development pathways towards digital transformation", said Ms Giannini. "We believe the digital transformation of education in Africa should evolve from internal dynamics, be relevant to local cultures, and be built on the growth of national capacities."

Dr Fanta Mandefro, Ethiopian State Minister for General Education provided some additional information on the project by stating that "the initiative aims to deliver quality and inclusive education equitably anywhere at any time without interruption whether under normal or crises situations like the one we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns". The three beneficiary countries of the initial phase of the project, namely Egypt, Ethiopia and Ghana, are very supportive of the initiative as exemplified by the comment from H.E. Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Ghanian Minister of Education, stating that "the government is keen on leveraging ICT to enhance access to education to improve learning outcomes".

However, there are still various challenges to overcome during this three-year project that started in September 2020. According to Mr Albert Forn, GSMA Senior Director of mSchools, "3.4 billion people are not using mobile internet." He went on further to report that "women are 50% less likely to use mobile internet than men. Nearly a quarter of adults are not aware of mobile internet. The reasons are a lack of literacy and digital skills, as well as affordability (especially affected by the pandemic). There also needs to be more local and relevant services and content."

The UNESCO-Huawei project aims to address these challenges by integrating digital learning platforms, curriculum-aligned digital content, teachers' digital competencies, and the mainstreaming of open schooling models through national digital learning policies. As mentioned by Dr Reda Hegazy, Egypt's Deputy Minister for Teachers' Affairs: "Books are no longer the only source of education; digital transformation will provide us with educational resources. Education is no longer limited to a certain place or time. It is available to all people all over the world. The role of the teachers has changed; teachers are the facilitators and guides for how to use the information."

The project activities are aligned to support strategic visions set out by the governments. For example, the establishment of a distance training center for all teachers in Egypt; the initiative on digital textbooks for all students in Ethiopia; and the use of technology to support STEM education in Ghana. "To get Education back on track, we need to come together and collaborate to use technology to ensure that learning never stops," said Mr Kevin Zhang, Huawei CMO of ICT Infrastructure. "Technology is vital for supporting schools."

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