Digital Technology Can Help Reinvent Basic Education In Africa (qz.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Quartz: African countries have worked hard to improve children's access to basic education, but there's still significant work to be done. Today, 32,6 million children of primary-school age and 25,7 million adolescents are not going to school in sub-Saharan Africa. The quality of education also remains a significant issue, but there's a possibility the technology could be part of the solution. The digital revolution currently under way in the region has led to a boom in trials using information and communication technology (ICT) in education -- both in and out of the classroom. A study carried out by the French Development Agency (AFD), the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Orange and Unesco shows that ICT in education in general, and mobile learning in particular, offers a number of possible benefits. These include access to low-cost teaching resources, added value compared to traditional teaching and a complementary solution for teacher training. This means that there's a huge potential to reach those excluded from education systems. The quality of knowledge and skills that are taught can also be improved.

Comments

Have these people ever been in Africa?

[bradley13]

The problem is, as said in TFS: "32,6 million children of primary-school age and 25,7 million adolescents are not going to school". Step one: get them in school, where a teacher has access to them.

Then this: "ICT in education...offers a number of possible benefits...these include access to low-cost teaching resources"

Um, no. Low cost is chalk and a blackboard. Pencil and paper. Using digital technology, especially for primary school children, is an idiotic idea. The kind of idea dreamed up by technology fans who haven't got the slightest clue about the actual challenges facing the kids there.

Re:Have these people ever been in Africa?

[KiloByte]

The kind of idea dreamed up by technology fans who haven't got the slightest clue about the actual challenges facing the kids there.

Those guys do know this better than you, it's just that their aim is not as benevolent as you'd expect.

Getting teachers there would cost orders of magnitude less than "one iPad per child", but won't line the pockets of people interested in their pockets being lined.

Any technological device would also end up being robbed by the local warlord. This is the primary obstacle for making sub-Saharan Africa less of a hellhole.

Re:Have these people ever been in Africa?

[kenh]

Any technological device would also end up being robbed by the local warlord. This is the primary obstacle for making sub-Saharan Africa less of a hellhole.

Right. It's all the stolen OLPC that makes life so hellish in Africa, it's not the lack of water, healthy food, sanitation, shelter, genocides, and slavery trade that make it so bad. It's that the poor African school-age child lost access to the OLPC that was never shipped to Africa, to be used in their non-existant school, where their non-existant teacher would explain to them that learning to program in squeak would unlock a six-figure job in silicon valley when they turn 18...

Re:Have these people ever been in Africa?

[thinkwaitfast]

Clean water and sanitation would be a better investment.

Send them ipads

[rfengr]

Send them the iPads my kids use in school. Damn things are horrible for anything but rote math drilling. Daughter was trying to show her work by zooming in and writing between questions with her finger. The rule in this house is to do it on paper. Don’t let Apple into your schools.

Re:Send them ipads

[Baron_Yam]

> Donâ(TM)t let Apple into your schools.

That's an overly specific rule, as it lets Microsoft sneak past your defenses.

Re: How many of those kids

[gnick]

Apparently the Christians get more schooling than the Muslims.

In sub-Saharan Africa, Christians average six years of formal schooling, compared with fewer than three years for Muslims.

Re:The important things.

[kenh]

It wasn't that long ago that HIV/AIDS was spreading like wildfire on the African continent because there was a belief that HIV/AIDS could be cured by having sex with a virgin...

Re:Have these people ever been in church?

[kenh]

Because to these "humanitarians" once we drop internet-linked tablets into the hands of starving Africans they can just order up a case of bottled water and basic food supplies from Alibaba, Amazon, Harrods, or other online retailer... See, problem solved.

Brilliant.

Almost as brilliant as requiring people that can't afford to buy health insurance to pay a fine to subsidize the premiums of other people's healthcare coverage, but I digress...

Re:They could start with Baltimore

[kenh]

You don't understand, the problem with Baltimore public schools is the horrible salary, benefits, and pension the teachers suffer with - it's not access to technology, Baltimore Public schools have just about completing their one-to-one initiative.

Re:Sub-Sahara?

[mspohr]

While we're at it, let's bring back slavery. /s
A good argument can be made that the colonial exploitation of Africa is the cause of most of their current problems. For hundreds of years, Africa has been exploited for natural resources, slave labor and restricted education and development opportunities. It's still going on. The rest of the world still looks on Africa as a "resource" to be exploited (China is the latest to take advantage of Africa). Best to get rid of colonial powers.

Re:Long way off

[thinkwaitfast]

Every time II say this (and yes, I have been to Africa), I get labeled as a troll. And yes, it's all true.

I think the problem is is that the gap is so mind boggling huge, that there is not frame of reference to describe it. Africa is great place, even the un-touristy areas.I wish everyone could go for a visit and think the world wold be a lot better if they did.