Unicef Solves Zimbabwean Pupils E-Learning Covid-19 Induced Hurdles

Thanks to a partnership between Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Zimbabwean learners can now Download the Learning Passport Android application today and any other day to be updated with all learning.Not only that, if they want to learn more or test the Learning Passport on their own devices, they can Access the web app here: https://mopsezw.learningpassport.unicef.org/.

However good it might be, software alone cannot solve the learning crisis. This is why UNICEF is also working, as part of a larger Reimagine Education agenda, on providing connectivity, solutions to procure equipment, and training teachers so they learn digital skills and can be fully confident using Education Technology in and out of the classroom.

To increase the availability of learning in areas where there is less connectivity, UNICEF is currently working to install offline versions of the Learning Passport, using a local server in a selected pool of 50 schools. Each of the selected schools has a computer laboratory that is already connected to a Local area network. Where there is no network, UNICEF is working to establish connectivity.

To take full advantage of the technology, teachers require access to devices both in the computer laboratory and in staffrooms or at home when they prepare their lessons. UNICEF is currently working on solutions to provide the needed equipment and supplying schools with tablets for teachers.

Finally, in 2021, it is also planned that an additional 2,171 teachers will be trained on the use of ICT, and the Learning Passport resources, so that teachers and schools’ staff have the necessary digital skills to use the latest technology.

The launch of the Learning Passport by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) together with UNICEF and Microsoft, and with funding from GPE is an important milestone for children and education providers in Zimbabwe. It provides a continuous learning solution in the midst of a pandemic and is helping to equip children and young people with the skills they need to reach their full potential.