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PROBLEM
“Over 80% Of
Students In Kenya Have Not Had Access To Online Education”
The COVID-19
pandemic took the world by surprise. Globally, everything
has stopped. Projects have been delayed, workplaces closed
and schools shut down. The world seems to have ground to a
halt because of the novel coronavirus.
However,
students continue their education through online learning
and via video calls with their teachers, especially in
private schools. The model is currently the best alternative
as keeping schools open poses a safety risk for students.
So what exactly
is the root problem – we explore this through our 3 part
‘Why’s’ to uncover much more.
1. Why
did the Kenyan government not partner with local businesses
within the private sector to solve the problem?
As we all know
there is only so much the government can do to solve the
continuous needs of the masses and more often than not
businesses within the private sector have creative and
innovative solutions to the ever changing needs.
2. Why
is it educational programs the responsibility to solve this
issue is being left to educational programs alone?
Educational programs within different schools have been
challenged with tackling a problem that is beyond their area
of expertise frankly speaking. Integrating technology with
the current curriculum is an effort that simply cannot be
tackled with the existing knowledge educational programs
have been using for the past couple of decades.
3. Why
do parents have to 100% really on the government to solve
the problems affecting their children Parents have the
greatest burden of ensuring their children continue pursuing
their respective goals and ambitions. Parents should have
the option of having a second
option – whether that is access to mass education via a
radio channel or Television Station.
When the first COVID-19 case was announced in Kenya March
12th 2020, the country was in a panic. The President of
Kenya announced later on that all schools- both secondary
and primary were to be closed. However, many schools were
not ready to apply home learning programs yet, apart from
good universities. This is due to a lack of preparation in
this country.
Exploring the solution to this timely subject through a two
part – What-If allowed us to objectively come up with
critical to focus on:
1. What If
we set up a national online learning platform
This can be addressed by providing learners with free access
to online platforms and providing users with extra internet
free bundles to compensate for increased internet usage.
Partnership with the ministry of communication and education
can be made to facilitate access to services and increase
the speed of the internet. To ease the disruption, Kenya can
create a hotline for teachers and students to seek technical
support if they face any difficulties.
2. What If
we set up a Radio Based Learning
Radio is one of the cheapest and most accessible means of
communication across Kenyan households. Providing learning
based programs via radio channels will allow the students to
continue with their learning while staying safe at home.
It is an opportunity for countries in the region to rethink
education. More so, it is a call for building a more
resilient and inclusive education system taking into
consideration the critical role of teachers, parents, and
availability of learning resources.
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