We wanted to share the article below from the recent CAUSE Canada newsletter about their award winning work using RACHEL technology (Mobile Learning Labs) to ramp up math and reading skills in Sierra Leone The results are impressive (see ties.charity/2022/09/21/afterschool-program-final-report/) and that why we’ve renewed and increased our support for their afterschool project. We’re proud to partner with CAUSE, especially in a country where kids are so eager to learn that they hang in the classroom window to hear the lessons!
Quality Over Quantity — Or Can We Have Both?
In a Grade 1 class of 150 six-year-old children, Mariatu* struggles to learn. Her teacher has only a Grade 6 education and there are so many children in the class. Although her teacher is participating in training, she has a long way to go before she is accredited. Mariatu is grateful that her teacher shows up every day, and that the government is encouraging all kids to go to school.
Because of people like you, Mariatu received the opportunity to participate in something that she loves this year, Mobile Learning Labs. Hosted at her school, she uses a tablet — something that no one in her family has ever used — and can play math and reading games. Mariatu can already read more than her older sister who dropped out of school at age twelve.
About 88% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in math and literacy. Since Ebola closed schools in 2014, CAUSE Canada has been integrating technology into education programs to make sure that children are not missing out on the opportunity to learn. Evaluation of our approach shows that kids are improving their math and reading skills by more than 85%. Their enthusiasm for school also increases, and attendance at school improves.
This past fall, CAUSE Canada was recognized by the Mobiles for Education Alliance for its innovative work to increase children’s math skills.
“It was an honour to be invited to speak at the Ed Tech Symposium in Washington, DC in November and to participate in discussions with the World Bank and other global partners on strategies to effectively use technology to overcome the problem of poor-quality education,” says Executive Director, Wendy Fehr.
“It is not acceptable to send kids to school and call our work done. Children must be learning. Using technology in education ensures that all children can have quality education.”
*Name has been changed
Original article at www.cause.ca/news/winter23