Somalia has teamed up with international organisations to launch an online learning platform for primary education as the country grapples with the effects of COVID-19.
The ministry of education said the Alternative Learning Option aimed to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on education and intended to improve access to quality education for children impacted by the pandemic.
The online platform launched in partnership with the EU, Global Partnership for Education, GPE, and Save the Children Somalia programme would benefit 392,400 primary school children affected by learning disruptions due to COVID-19 pandemic to continue their learning remotely.
“The launch is a milestone for the capacity of the education sector in Somalia to ensure that children are able to learn while they are at home,” Abdullahi Abukar Haji, Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education said.
The initiative, dubbed the COVID-19 Accelerated Funding programme, was funded by the GPE to help countries with COVID-19 response as it aimed to ensure the continuity of learning and maintain the well-being of teachers and students by development and implementation of alternative distance learning options.
The programme targeted both public and community run formal primary schools in the four Federal Member States and Banadir administration.
More, other key milestones including development of alternative learning options (radio platform) would be rolled out in April.
The programme procured 17,324 radios to reach out the target vulnerable school children in all regions.
Save the Children Somalia programme Country Director Mohamud Mohamed Hassan said the platform would create classroom-like interaction between teachers and students.
He said this would also narrow the gap between children from rural and urban areas.
Xinhua/NAN
