NAIROBI, July 23 (NNN-XINHUA) — The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) on Tuesday launched an ambitious roadmap to promote continental digital learning, local innovation and inclusive growth by 2030.
Launched in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the Africa EdTech 2030: Vision, Plan and Policy framework is aligned with AU digital transformation agenda and envisages a future where a critical mass of learners has access to mobile devices connected to high speed internet, enabling them to study remotely.
The Africa EdTech vision and framework aims to bypass traditional education infrastructure hiccups, harness digital tools to reach marginalized children and youth with instructional materials.
Some of the high-impact goals advanced by the strategy includes expanding digital access through low cost devices, solar solutions, offline-first technologies, upskilling teachers, research and data privacy.
“Through coordinated policy, local innovation and equitable infrastructure, Africa can leapfrog legacy education barriers and build a globally competitive digital learning ecosystem. The time was ripe to transition to digital learning in Africa, boost content development, cognitive abilities and social skills of the continent’s youth”, said John Kimotho, EdTech consultant from Kenya.
He cited Kenya, Rwanda and Mauritius as frontrunners worth emulating as the continent expand access to digital learning for a future workforce that is globally competitive.
However, The Vision & Plan responds to urgent continental challenges that over 60 percent of the population is below 25 years, 30 million primary school age children remain out of school and 17 million additional teachers are required by 2030 to achieve universal access to quality education. Also, only 30-65 percent of tutors own the device in South Africa while in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya.
To make the vision achievable, all stakeholders-governments, educators, private sector actors, communities, and partners are invited to review and comment on the vision and plan to ensure it enables the collective action envisaged. — NNN-XINHUA
