Africa probably offers the largest sample of situations imaginable: developed regions and others less, effective political systems and failing ones, democracies and autocracies, well-served regions by electrical and communication networks and others not.
At the educational level, the situation varies just as much. Only the primary education network covers practically the entire population. At the secondary level, we are talking about less than 40% of the potential clientele who will complete their studies. The university level remains reserved for an elite, less than 20%.
A report on what works
The eLearning Africa network report gathered around 1,650 responses from people living in 52 African countries in response to the situation caused by Covid. 52% of respondents are directly involved in the education sector and 9% in the ICT sector. 71% work for government or non-profit organizations and 21% for for-profit companies. 40% are teachers / lecturers / professors, and 13% are entrepreneurs or specialists in ICT or EdTech. The sample represents a group of experts rather than a representative sample of the population, but the survey results are significant.
In the African context, the effect of the closure of schools due to Covid has significant effects, especially if we consider that at the primary level, technologies are less used and less accessible. In the majority of situations, neither the teachers nor the families are able to compensate for the closure of schools and ensure the continuity of training.
Never mind, no one has stood idly by: in all environments, rich or poor, original resources have been mobilized: radio, television, telephone companies, private and public companies. Although the successes were not everywhere, they did not depend so much on the richness of the environment as on the quality of communication between all those involved: schools, ministries, teachers, parents, children. The better the communications and participation, the better the solutions.
Online distance education was initially not a realistic solution for the majority of the population. Few were prepared for it. The most effective technological formulas seem to have been the use of radio and television coupled with school sites for downloading documents by mobile phone in addition. But nothing can replace the participation of communities and parents.
The pandemic was an opportunity to open up to new ways of teaching and using technology. The experience and training acquired by all speakers and participants will not be lost …
For the full report: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in Africa and impact on the use of technologies – eLearning Africa – psf – 85 pages.
https://www.elearning-africa.com/conference/ressources/pdfs/surveys/The_effect_of_Covid-19_on_Education_in_Africa_fr.pdf
Keywords:
FAD
eLearning Africa
Formation à distance
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