According to UNESCO, 1.29 billion students in 186 countries have had interrupted schooling because of the COVID19 pandemic. Just like schools around the world, school buildings in Rwanda are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. And just like the rest of the world, just because school buildings are close doesn’t mean that school is not in session. Students in Rwanda, and many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, have been engaging in distance learning.
Two weeks after the announcement of school closures, Rwanda announced plans for distance learning.“ This lockdown should not impede smooth teaching and learning.” explained Dr. Irénée Ndayambaje, Director General of Rwanda Education Board, Rwanda’s organization for developing school curricula, and schooling schemes. Rwanda was able to have such an agile response because national and local leadership places such an emphasis on learning.
Like most of the world, Rwanda struggles with the digital divide. While Rwanda has placed a priority on digital literacy, students of lower social-economic statuses and students in rural areas often struggle with access issues ranging from lack of electricity to internet access and pricing concerns.
To ensure that all students have access to school during the lockdown, Rwanda’s leaders turned to radio. Radio is the most popular and accessible form of mass media in the country with over 98% of Rwandans having access to it. Now students in Rwanda listen every day at 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for radio lessons.
Each radio lesson last 20 to 30 minutes long and focuses on interactive learning. Lessons are designed so students can participate on their own. This is critical because parents often do not have the resources to support their child, especially in lessons that are in English.
Each lesson starts with a short review followed by a short lecture from the teacher, with frequent opportunities for student engagement. Each lesson concludes with a summary and a preview of the next lesson topic. Due to Rwanda’s national curriculum students haven’t missed a beat. Rwandan schools are all on the same units of study which meant that the radio lessons could pick up where students last left off.
While there are often additional challenges related to distance learning in Rwanda, local leaders have risen to the challenge to ensure that all students still have the opportunity to learn.
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