These observations come from discussions on extending learning at @FundiBots and working from home with our team members across the country.
Level 1: Electricity.
The primary foundation necessary for remote work or remote learning is inaccessible to a lot of people.
Our teams in Mbale and Gulu especially suffer with this; these regions are notorious for day-long power cuts.
Computers and internet-ready smartphones are not exactly accessible to the majority of people. Just the other day, the Ministry of Education said radio penetration was too low for remote learning.
Radio. Guys, not even TVs, but radio.
If you have the previous three levels in place, can you competently work or learn from home? Various issues come to mind: Cramped living spaces, security concerns for expensive (company) equipment, peace-of-mind in the house/home, etc.
We would need to rapidly improve ICT skills for workers, students, teachers and parents. While the government touts progress with basic ICT skills, I think the reality on the ground tells a different story.
There has to be a fundamental re-calibration of content delivery and performance evaluation.
If parents can't use the tools the student is using, then learning is crippled.
We have a lot of digital content available online, but:
i) the good content has no local context
ii) the local content is poor quality, most of it is a direct copy & paste of textbooks and pamphlets with no attempt to re-factor for digital learning pathways.
What does remote learning look like for THAT child?