The Role of Technology in Enhancing African Education: An Open Letter to Policy Makers.
An Article by Obaniyi Jason Olamide (JKF Essay Competition 2021 Winner — Undergraduate Category)
Abstract
Technology has been crucial to the education development of many countries in Europe, Asia, and America. These countries are evolving to feature more revolutionary and up-to-date software and other technologies.
Conversely, education in Africa is on a slow-paced evolutionary path. Moreover, the use of technology in African education is at its basest point. Africa has yet to tap into this aspect of evolution and is missing out on the advantageous influence of technology.
This essay highlights the benefits of technology application in African education and provides policy recommendations that can transform education in Africa, with relevant examples and prospects.
Introduction
Africa has everything she would need to lead the world for millennials. The continent is home to rare mineral resources. Her people are some of the most brilliant minds in international spaces. Nevertheless, her educational system is yet to take full advantage of technology, the present currency of civilisation and advancements.
The evolution of education in Africa is a fascinating one. It started gradually from missionary schools and is currently on an explosive path, waiting for the spark of technological applications at all levels.
According to politics and governance genius, Late Nelson Mandela (2000), “There was a time when the government took no interest whatsoever in African education, it was the churches, that part of civil society, that bought lands, built schools and employed and paid teachers. People like myself right from grade eight to university, I was in a missionary school.”
In the last centuries, African education has been ‘mid’ at all levels and blind to the potential revolutionisation capabilities in the use of technology. Major Robert Odell Owens, an African-American politician, said: “We can close the gap and improve what happens in the classrooms by using educational technology that is the same high quality everywhere.”
If Africa is interested in fostering sustainable economic growth and development, social transformation, and exiting the branding of the ‘3rd World Continent,’ then it is high time she concentrates on exploiting technology in her classrooms.
How Will Technology Impact at Any Level in African Education?
Looking at the education transformations ushered through technology in Europe, Asia, and America, technology has the same potential to impact education in Africa.
Technology can influence many things in African education, from access to quality and futuristic prospects. Here are some of the ways technology can impact African education at all levels;
1. Boosting Access to Education
One of the most significant challenges of education in Africa is access. According to UNESCO (2023), Of all regions, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion. Over one-fifth of children between the ages of about 6 and 11 are out of school, followed by one-third of youth between the ages of about 12 and 14. According to UIS data, almost 60% of youth between the ages of about 15 and 17 are not in school.
Access to education improves with technologies, such as free or subsidised projection of pre-recorded lectures and tutorials, information technology, e-classrooms, virtual lectures, access to computers, etc. They bring the learning materials and classroom closer to the palms and homes of the students.
In countries like the UK, USA, UAE, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Japan, technology is the ‘go-to model to improve access to education and study materials. Many of their students have the opportunity to learn from anywhere.
2. Training and Retraining of Teachers.
Technology can help train and retrain teachers by providing easy access to updated information to improve their all-around deliveries in classrooms. The application of technology to the African education system will have more teachers measuring up to international standards and delivering quality education to African students.
It can also help African teachers connect in real-time with each other and teachers from different countries on different continents for knowledge transfer, mentorship, and balancing curricula to national and international criteria.
3. Delivery of Quality Education
Students often echo the quality of education they receive when they interact or mingle with each other or those from different parts of the world. These interactions often occur in local or international competitions.
If quality education is an objective, then technology is needed! Digital simulation and models have been helping to deliver quality education for many years. Having students see what they learn or practise is a better way to improve the quality of their education.
Other technological applications to improve the quality of education are; fun learning with video conferencing and live streaming, virtual imagery, etc.
Countries that use technology to drive the quality of education are leading in international competition between schools. African countries such as Nigeria and South Africa have made the continent proud on one or two occasions, and some of the student representatives are from private schools where technology application is optimal.
4. Automated Administrative Tasks
Paper and pencil administrative models slow down the pace of educational growth and the ability to compete in international space. Introducing technology into the administrative running of African education will enhance the execution of duties and responsibilities in a short time.
Tasks such as registration, admission, student assessments, grading, data storage, and staffing can take seamless dimensions with the introduction of technology. It also prepares the staff and students for competitive survival in places where automated administrative tasks are a thing.
Computer-based tests are the future of academic assessments. They are fast and reliable. Moreover, using these tech options for student assessment prepares them for similar things in other countries or at international competitions.
5. Promoting Inclusivity and Diversity
Africa is one of the most diverse continents in the world. It is home to over two thousand languages. Technology can help intra-continent knowledge transfer with its translation capabilities, for example, speech recognition systems.
A competent teacher/lecturer can offer a lecture in his local dialect (for example, Swahili) and have it translated into French for students in francophone countries of West Africa through this software.
Also, the multilingual speech recognition software and translation function can aid students in similar levels or fields of study to engage in ‘interstate and intertribal’ communication in chat boxes.
6. Preparing Students for the Digital Economy
Digitalisation is revolutionising many aspects of human social life, from banking to sales and commerce, medicine, industry, journalism, Law and order, engineering, and the military. The rising demand for technology skills suggests the need to integrate technology into African education and prepare students for the future.
Skills such as data analytics, coding, software development, and cybersecurity are increasingly becoming ‘hotcakes’ in the 21st century. Many industries seek workers with the technological know-how to improve productivity and customer reach. Africa should prepare her students and her future to feature in the evolving digital world.
The Policies Africa Needs
Policymakers are world-changers. They prepare the way for the progress, growth, and development of a place and its people. It is high time Policymakers in Africa assess how far behind African education is and design favourable technology policies that can influence education in Africa.
The different regions need to collaborate to birth a robust intervention roadmap to salvage African education and bring it to par with European, Asian, and American schools and international standards.
Here are some policies that can help rejuvenate and revolutionise education in Africa at all levels;
1. Provision of Basic Social Amenities.
The first thing on the path to change and development of the educational system in Africa is the address of the lack of basic social amenities. Too many African citizens have had to provide basic amenities for themselves or exist in their absence.
Some poor citizens are neck-deep in the cost of providing these essentials for themselves and afford to enrol their children/wards in schools. Policies should prioritise amenities such as electricity, drinkable water, roads, farming aids, and hospitals.
Jed Child Foundation Blog Post (2021) “Inadequate social amenity is a major setback for quality African child education. Social amenities make life comfortable and learning easy. It also facilitates the provision of quality education.”
Other amenities directly related to better African education with technological applications are good internet access and favourable policies to reduce the cost of individuals subscribing to telecommunication companies.
2. Introduction of Online Educational Resources in Curricula
Introducing online educational resources or platforms in the sessional curricula of students at all levels will help expose them to hard skills. Numerous online learning platforms are available today. Examples include Coursera, Khan Academy, edX, Scholastica, etc.
Take a physical or online survey of the ‘career interests’ of the students and partner with one or two private or public sectors to provide access to one or two courses on these platforms along the ‘career path’ of the students.
These technological additions expose the students and improve their learning beyond the four walls of the classroom.
Subsidy plans can apply to the payment for the certificate from these e-learning platforms to lessen the burden on parents and guardians, especially in areas with high poverty rates.
3. Implementing One Laptop per Child (OLPC)
Many government-owned/controlled schools in Africa operate a non-functioning computer laboratory or have computer science subjects in their curriculum. This deficit is at the core of the issues in African education systems and its inability to compete with international standards of schools on other continents.
Providing laptops or desktops for a computer library and other access materials for e-learning is one of the first steps to influencing education in Africa. If the cost of providing a laptop for each child is high, then a computer library will do. The recommended ratio is one desktop computer to five students (1:5).
4. Organizing or Hosting Tech Bootcamps or Retreats
Communities, schools, and governments can set up tech boot camps or retreats featuring whiz tech-savvies or techpreneurs to have tech educational and interactive discourse to familiarise the students.
Planning and execution of these retreats or boot camps can be;
- Separate from extracurricular activities or replace the regular summer lessons.
- Free of charge or subsidised to stimulate maximum participation, and
- Include incentives like certificates, games, and stories to encourage more people to participate. It must not be compulsory but should be enticing.
Plateau State Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (PICTDA) Nigeria is emulatable for these boot camps. The agency hosts annual boot camps (Code Plateau) for young people to improve digital skills acquisition. Some of the skills available are software engineering, digital marketing, data science, blockchain development, and UI/UX.
5. Partnership with Techpreneurs and Social Media Influencers.
Techpreneurs are people who start and manage technology businesses. There is a growing population of techpreneurs in African countries, and many are ‘living under the radar.’
Policymakers, governments, schools, agencies and individuals should seek out techpreneurs, partner with social media influencers, and motivate them to inspire the use of technology by students and schools. Governments can also establish honorary certificates or contract awards to recruit these techpreneurs and influencers.
Galal Saifaddin (2023), As of 2022, there are over 384 million Africans on social media, and Facebook is the leading social media platform. Having social media influencers market/promote the use of technology in schools can significantly increase compliance and receptivity in Africa.
Conclusion
Technology is a significant factor in the growth and progress of education on the African continent, and prompt application is desirable and recommended. African policymakers need not nap on technology because it is the future of the world as we know it.
The suggested policies are working in other parts of the world. With their application and adherence, Africa will reserve the international spot she sorely deserves.
