Ministry Finalizing Preparations to Provide Tablets for High Schools

Addis Ababa July 23/2020 Ministry of Education disclosed that it is finalizing preparations to provide materials, including tablets, to all high schools in the coming academic year.
 

In an exclusive interview with ENA, State Minister of Education Million Matewos said the tablets would help to make the schools centers of excellence and training places for elementary schools in the neighborhoods.

COVID-19 protecting materials will be provided to all schools in collaboration with Ministry of Health when the government decides the resumption of schools, he added.

“The first two months of reopening of schools will be used to compensate for the missed lessons in the second half of the year. All peoples have to be aware that the 2020/2021academic year will not be the usual year in all ways,” the state minster noted.

Million stressed the need for collaboration and involvement of stakeholders in the effort to create conducive teaching and learning environment as the number of students in a class will be reduced from the previous ones and more classes will be needed in post-COVID-19 environment.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 the ministry has taken various measures to continue the teaching-learning process.

Attempts were made to address uncovered portions online, through TV and radio in major cities and urban areas of the country, the state minister said.

As more than 80 percent of the population lives in the countryside it has become difficult to provide online teaching, he added.

“Responding to the spread of the pandemic, the government took immediate measures. The closure of schools on one hand is a positive response to contain the disease as many other countries did. As a result more than 26 million students were affected,” Million stated.

The state minister said “the ministry will in the future strengthen use of radio for teaching as the majority of the population lives in rural areas.”