Sign in Subscribe
Teachers

Digital Learning in East Africa: A Catalyst for Equitable Education

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly disrupted learning across East Africa in 2020, highlighting a significant digital divide and exposing deep-seated challenges within the education system. With physical schools shut down, families, educators, and institutions rapidly turned to technology in its simplest forms, from television lessons and mobile phone messaging to radio and YouTube. These basic solutions kept learning alive and planted the seeds for a more connected future in education.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep-seated challenges within East Africa's education system, including a significant digital divide and infrastructure gaps.
  • Tanzania's education system supports over 12 million students annually, but statistics are worrying, with nearly 29 per cent of youths not in education, employment, or training and about 89 per cent of 10-year-olds unable to read basic texts.
  • The pandemic highlighted the need for digital learning infrastructure, with only 15-20 per cent of Tanzanian households having reliable internet access and a mere 23 per cent having consistent electricity.
  • Cultural hesitancy initially slowed digital adoption, but this changed gradually as families and educators began using video lessons, radio broadcasts, and mobile apps.
  • The Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), a government agency under the Ministry of Education, played a vital role in broadcasting video lessons via television and YouTube.
  • Telecommunications companies offered zero-rated internet access for students to access specific learning platforms, helping extend education to digitally isolated areas.
  • Local EdTech initiatives across East Africa began to flourish, with innovations such as interactive online learning platforms, digital textbooks, and mobile-accessible learning solutions.
  • Mobile-first platforms are emerging as a promising solution, with mobile penetration reaching 79 per cent in the region, allowing SMS- and USSD-based learning solutions to deliver quality education to students even in off-grid communities.
  • The Tanzania Institute of Education is training teachers to adopt tech-enabled methods through online teacher communities, making professional development more accessible and scalable.
  • Digital textbooks and solar-powered tablets are bridging the content gap and providing real-time access to learning material aligned with the national curriculum.

Statistics:

  • 12 million: the number of students supported by Tanzania's education system annually.
  • 29 per cent: the percentage of youths not in education, employment, or training.
  • 89 per cent: the percentage of 10-year-olds unable to read basic texts.
  • 15-20 per cent: the percentage of Tanzanian households with reliable internet access.
  • 23 per cent: the percentage of Tanzanian households with consistent electricity.
  • 79 per cent: the percentage of mobile penetration in the East African region.
  • 60 per cent: the percentage of Tanzanians living without digital learning infrastructure in rural areas.
  • 30 million: the number of children reached by Ubongo Learning's TV and YouTube programs across Africa.
  • 6 million: the number of students reached by Eneza Education's SMS-based learning program in Kenya.
  • 3,000: the number of schools mapped by the Giga Initiative in Rwanda.

Sources:

  • Daily News, "When Covid-19 disrupted learning across East Africa in 2020..."
  • Ubongo Learning, "2021 UNESCO ICT in Education Prize"
  • Smartcore and Smartdarasa, interactive online learning platforms
  • Eneza Education, SMS-based learning program
  • Giga Initiative, mapping of internet coverage in 3,000 schools in Rwanda
  • Ekima Interactive, interactive learning platforms
  • Mr George Akilimali, Chief Executive Officer of Ekima Interactive

Read more