UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

09/27/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/27/2021 10:13

Building digital teaching skills among teachers in the Caribbean

A free online training is equipping teachers across the Caribbean with the skills, tools and methods to improve distance learning for their learners.

The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent disruptions to schools continues to threaten decades of progress towards quality education - SDG 4 - in the Caribbean. Data suggests that nearly 7 million students in 23 countries and 91,000 teachers have been affected by school closures.

As schools across the region closed, teachers had to adapt quickly to blended and distance learning modalities. This was particularly challenging for those in regions with poor or no connectivity and limited access to devices. Even in contexts with adequate infrastructure and connectivity, many teaching professionals lacked the training and ICT skills to design and facilitate quality learning from afar.

In January this year, in response to the significant needs of the education system in the region, UNESCO, Blackboard and the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP) at the University of the West Indies teamed up to launch the Education response to Covid-19: Distance Learning and Teacher Training Strategies in the Caribbean SIDS. With funding from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), this year-long project aims to strengthen the capacities of teachers and school leaders on digital skills and blended learning solutions. The goal is to train 10,000 teachers in the use of online education tools, resources and platforms.