UNICEF, Airtel partnership enhancing digital learning for students in Adjumani

Adjumani |The partnership between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Airtel Uganda to accelerate digital learning in Adjumani has significantly improved teaching and learning at St Mary Assumpta Girls’ Secondary School.

This collaboration focusses on increasing access to educational resources via digital platforms, which is especially important in areas with limited infrastructure and resources.

According to Sr Rebecca Abio, the head teacher at St Mary Assumpta Girls, the school has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNICEF and Airtel Uganda to receive free internet for five years. This partnership, according to her, has transformed learning and fit the current curriculum.

The head teacher stated that access to free internet has increased enrolment at the school.

“Last year, we had an enrolment of 682 and this year the enrolment has gone to 720. With digital learning our students can do research and learn on their own,” Abio stated.

The head teacher further revealed that the school has 40 computers, which, according to her are not adequate for effective teaching and learning.

“Last time, we got 30 computers from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and we also got 10 computers from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for effective learning; we need 150 computers so that one computer can serve 5 learners,” the head teacher said.

Alex Opono, the head of the Department for Information and Communications Technology, noted that with the enhanced digital learning, out of 26 students who sat for senior four examinations last year 18 sat for advanced level.

“This year, we had 35 who registered and sat for senior four, 32 registered and sat for senior six. This is very promising. When I can here in 2015, there was only one student who registered,” Opono said.

Christine Juan is a senior five student and a refugee from Alere refugee settlement who said she is a beneficiary of the partnership that is aimed at enhancing digital learning.

The e-learning has significantly enhanced Christine Juan’s educational experience at the school, particularly as a refugee and an orphan.

She said e-learning platforms provided access to a wealth of educational materials that she might not have had in a traditional classroom setting. Online libraries, video lectures, and interactive modules allow her to explore subjects in depth, catering to her learning pace.

“I have learned on Zoom with other schools, and I was able to do research, in my subject, I do human figures and now I can sketch the human figure better than I used to do, I also learned how to success cards, and I made them and got money out of it,” Juan attested.

Magdaline Garang, a senior three student, said she learned to do research with the help of the internet and she has been inspired to do oil engineering.

“Learning has been transformed. I did not know how to operate a computer. I can now make my own notes even when there is no teacher in the class,” Garang said.

The business manager for Airtel in West Nile Willy Edong, while speaking to journalists at St Mary’s Secondary School, said the goal of the partnership is to prepare learners for e-learning after the COVID-19 pandemic that interrupted learning.

“We are providing 300GM for internet monthly for St Mary’s Assumpta Girls Secondary School for the entire five-year duration of the MoU, this is a package which is very fast to facilitate teaching and learning,” Willy said.

Willy further stated: “In Uganda, we have entered into a partnership with 100 schools and our projection is by 2025 is to have 500 schools to benefit from digital learning. The main goal of this partnership is to prepare our learners for the digital world, students with digital skills.”

This development is part of the Airtel Africa and UNICEF Pan-African partnership that will benefit learners in the countries of Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya; Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda; Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

In Uganda, 200,000 in and out-of-school learners are targeted. The out-of-school beneficiaries will benefit from the partnership with community youth centers in districts where UNICEF is implementing interventions for the most marginalized children.