Monday, May 27, 2019
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
e-learning lessons to support self paced learning
In a traditional classroom, students follow the pace of the curriculum. The teacher presents a series of lessons and assignments, and it's the responsibility of each individual enrolled in the class to keep up. This time-honored approach to learning may provide structure and motivation for students of all ages, but that doesn't mean it's always the best model for education or training. Reference
As an e-learning author, I have started the journey of preparing resources that support self paced learning.
Self paced learning has a number of advantages one being that it allows the learners latitude to repeat the content as many times as possible while exploring all the resources at their disposal.
However use of e-learning resources that support self paced learning requires basic technical skills to interact with them comfortably .
Linked below are e-learning lessons prepared using eXeLearning and placed in the website ictlessons for STEM subject.
Click on the links below to learn or evaluate. Review comments or improvement is highly recommended. The materials are customized secondary students in Kenya but any high school students can benefit a lot from them.
- Biology Introduction to biology
This was made using office mix and hp5 that makes the video interactive
3. Physics Introduction to measurements
How to make simplified science virtual laboratory experiments
With a little knowledge on coding but with the right technological approach its possible to design virtual experiments for learners.
Friday, March 15, 2019
AU TEACHER PRIZE
Call for Ministries of Education to submit applications
CLOSING DATE: 30th July 2019 This first AU Teacher Prize will be focused on those teaching at the secondary school level only. Ministers responsible for Education in AU Member States are requested to nominate and submit names of two teachers, one male and one female, who meet the eligibility criteria below. Ministries are encouraged to work with relevant national agencies including Teacher Unions, in selecting the two top teachers Online form: 👉🏾https://www.edu-au.org/teacher-prize If you are facing any difficulties in completing this form or if you need further info, please contact: owusum@africa-union.org
Source: https://www.edu-au.org/
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
GESCI Internship/work experience
GESCI is offering internship and work experience for a period 3 months beginning April 2019.
To be considered you must have completed a Bachelor’s degree and or currently enrolled in a Master’s degree in statistics, monitoring and evaluation, research methods or related discipline.
Knowledge and experience with SPSS or STATA is a must. Knowledge of NVIVO, Atlas.ti software an added advantage.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and to take initiative.•Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Data analysis, research, Monitoring and Evaluation experience in development setting/NGO will be an added advantage.
To apply:Interested candidates should send an application letter and a maximum 3 page CV(with at least 2 referees). Please submit by email under the heading ‘GESCI Internship/work experience’ to GESCI procurement at: procurement@gesci.org by 28th March 2019.
Only individuals meeting the academic and experience requirements need apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For further information on the internship,you can contact Samuel Otieno, GESCI MERL Specialist at: samuel.otieno@gesci.org
Internship opening in the area of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL).
See Terms of Reference here: http://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/GESCI_MERL_Internship-work_experience_ToR_Final_13032019.pdf
Monday, February 18, 2019
International Day of Education 2019
It also has my reflections on what happening on ICT integration in Kenya, Tanzania and Cote D'ivoire, where the program is being interested for the benefit of African high Schools.
What the video clips below for more.
Me, the Blogger
My Colleagues
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
GESCI News Letter
Courtesy of http://gesci.org/
Gesci Foundation.
The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI) is an international non-profit organisation founded on the recommendation of the United Nations Task Force on Information Communication Technology (ICT). GESCI was established in 2003 at the first World Summit on the Information Society.
The United Nations ICT Task Force identified education as an area in critical need of development, and one where ICT has the potential to make a very significant and positive impact. Initially GESCI was headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The founding supporters included the Governments of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. In 2011, GESCI signed a Host Country Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Kenya when it transferred its headquarters from Ireland to Nairobi, Kenya, where it now resides as a full international organisation.
Welcome to the 2018 Quarter 4 newsletter where GESCI seeks to keep you informed of its activities related to ICT Integration in Education, forthcoming events, training and research work related to Education Policy, Planning and Management on the continent. This newsletter is specifically addressed at education personnel in the Ministries of Education dealing with policy and planning,training institutions as well as development partners among others.
ICT Teacher of the Year Award-Kenya
June 2018. eKitabu in collaboration with Teachers Service Commission (TSC), CEMASTEA and
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has come up with an award for the best
innovative teachers in classroom practices in mathematics and sciences. This award is known as the
iTOYA Award; i for ICT Integration in Teaching and Learning and TOYA for Teacher of the Year
Award Maxwell Kayesi, a Physics teacher at Karuri High School in Kiambu County , one of the
schools participating in the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Programme scooped the ICT
Teacher of the year Award of the year. Mr Kayesi is a School Based Coordinator at the Karuri
overseeing all (ADSI) project activities in terms of ICT Integration. For further information contact
esther.wachira@gesci.org
July
International Conference on Private Higher Education in Africa, Addis, Ethiopia
25-27 July 2018. GESCI chaired a session of St. Mary’s University 16th International Conference on
Private Higher Education in Africa in partnership with the African Union Commission, Association of African Universities, IICBA/UNESCO, IGAD, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Education, International Network of Higher Education in Africa and the Ethiopian Airlines/Aviation Academy. The Conference created a platform for a wide-range of actors, educators, policy/decision-makers, higher education leaders, and partners engaged in the promotion of higher education to deliberate on issues pertinent to the enhancement of quality education in African institutions of higher learning. GESCI’s CEO spoke on “Incorporating Effective Entrepreneurialism and Employment Skills through a set of Coherent Higher Education Initiativies” The Conference generated policy-relevant
recommendations from various scientific research papers under different themes and sub-themes. It
provided an opportunity for networking among researchers, educators and leaders in higher education
institutions. For further information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
Catch-Up Training , Kenya
September. The Country Programme Manager ADSI and Kenya County Project Coordinators
conducted catch-up trainings for teachers who were yet to reach the required levels to be certified for
the Knowledge Deepening phase of training. For further information contact: esther.wachira@gesci.org.
African Union Refugee EMIS, Kampala, Uganda
GESCI was a core member in organizing the inaugural African Union Refugee EMIS meeting, in
Kampala, Uganda in September. This brought together a small group of experts, partners, including
UNHCR, and member states (Kenya and Uganda) to develop a concept note to expand a strategy of
country engagement on this critical theme in preparation for the AU thematic year of the Refugee and
Migrants. For further information contact: angela.arnott@gesci.org
4-5 October. The African Union Human Resources, Science and Technology co-hosted a conference,
chaired by Minister of Higher Education and Research, Senegal, which brought together education
innovators from all of Africa. GESCI participated on various panels on innovative practices as well as chaired the expert group that selected the final prizewinners. This exposure of GESCI practices
brought on enquiries for engagement from the Minister of Education, Botswana; from Deputy PS of
Education, Gambia and Special Education Director, Malawi, among others. Visit:http://gesci.org/newsroom/events/single/news/detail/News/innovating-education-in-africa-expo/
GESCI Activities
The Global Partnership in Education Proposal , Dodoma, Tanzania
7th October, 2018. GESCI supported the development of GPE application and participated the meeting by government on the endorsement of the full proposal report on the GPE Application for Tanzania for $90m. The overall objective of GPE grant is to enhance universal access and participation in quality Pre-primary, Primary and Non-Formal Education with particular attention to learners from vulnerable groups who need opportunities for primary education. GESCI is currently implementing an innovative ICT in Education programme in Tanzania in 40 secondary schools based in Morogoro and Pwani funded by Mastercard Foundation, Canada. For further information contact: joyce.msolla@gesci.org and angela.arnott@gesci.org
African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Expert Working Group Meeting –Tanzania
10-12th October. Officials from Education Institutions forming the Expert Working Group (EWG) meet to review Modules on Knowledge Deepening before training commences in January 2019. For further information contact: joyce.msolla@gesci.org
Ecole Numérique d'Excellence Africaine (ENEA) Technology Literacy Phase
Online Tutoring and School Leadership Training – Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
15 October. 200 teachers from Abidjan and Yamoussoukro were introduced to Module 1 of training on Technology Literacy. Heads of Schools were also taken through on whole-school ICT
Implementation.ICT Integartion roadmaps and guidebooks were issued to each of the 20 secondary
schools. For further information contact; sylvie.tanflotien@gesci.org Exploratory Mission to Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement Scheme , Turkana, Kenya
17th – 19th October. GESCI was invited by Ministry of Education through its participation in the IGAD
Technical Working Group to work in Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee schools given its expertise and
resources in teacher development and whole school ICT integration. Staff supported by Ministry of
Education personnel with the agreement of UNCHR , visited the schools met with key stakeholders
and heads of Primary and Secondary Schools to consider a proposal. Additionally opportunities for
TVET intervention were scoped. For further information contact : esther.wachira@gesci.org
Regional Education and Learning (RELI) Convening , Zanzibar, Tanzania
22-23 October. Under the umbrella of The Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in
Secondary Education (PSIPSE), GESCI joined the RELI network of around 60 organizations, experts, academics and government officials from Tanzania working in education development sector. RELI network seeks to relate to cross-project learning through the development of thematic principles of good practice, policy influence, better coordination and alignment of participating organizations.
GESCI has been selected to work within the initiative to enhance learning on the thematic areas of
Learner Centered Teaching, ICT Integration in Education and Values and Life skills Education. GESCI contributed a significant chapter to the recent PSIPSE publication on best practices in secondary education. For further information contact: sam.otieno@gesci.org
Pan-African Virtual e-University Memorandum of Agreement
In October,GESCI developed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Pan African Virtual e-
University (PAVEU) to further develop post-graduate virtual diplomas in African Leadership in ICTs
and Knowledge Society (successfully run by GESCI in 16 countries with over 500 graduates in 2017);in Women Leadership in Science, Technology and Innovation (drafted with FAWE and finalized this year, it will involve all 5 African Pan-African Universities contributing curriculum related to their specialist domains); as well as accrediting the GESCI post-graduate diploma for Teacher Competency in ICTs in Teaching and Learning (developed from the African Digital Schools Initiative experiences). Additionally, a post graduate diploma in Transformative Leadership in Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock is proposed and will be developed with partners. The MOA will be formalized in early 2019. For further information contact: angela.arnott@gesci.org
The meeting was attended by education policy makers from over 60 countries in the world. The
taskforce on Teachers for Education for All (TTF) is an alliance of committed partners driven by a
steering committee composed of countries, intergovernmental organizations, international non-profit
organizations, private organisations and actors interested in issues on teachers and
teaching.Visit:http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/21st-century-teaching-in-full- implementation/ For further information contact: esther.wachira@gesci.org
GESCI signs EU contract to support Sierra Leone with EMIS 12-23rd November. GESCI has been contracted to provide technical support under the EU’s 11th Education Development Fund to the government, in providing expertise for the design of systems and development of capacity in establishing sector-wide ICT-enabled planning and monitoring for Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as Ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
This will be on-going into 2019. For further information contact: angela.arnott@gesci.org
GESCI at mEducation Alliance Symposium , Washington,USA 5-9 November. GESCI’s as member of the m Education Alliance Steering Committee, attended both this meeting and the Symposium held in Washington USA, in November 2018. Mobiles for Education
Alliance Steering Committee members, include selected Ministry of Education officials and other
invited guest representatives from other organizations investing in global, regional and national
technology in education initiatives. The Symposium focused on Using Technology to Scale Support
for Teachers and Community Educators in Low-Resource Environments. GESCI’s CEO
moderated two sessions including one on Real-Time Classroom and Community Data Collection and
Monitoring as well as presenting GESCI’s programmes. For further information contact:
jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
Ababa,Ethiopia
2-5th December. GESCI was invited to the Second Conference of IGAD Ministers in charge of
Education. The meeting’s focus was to adopt a costed action plan for implementation of the Djibouti
Declaration (DD) and Plan of Action in the next 2-5 years; validate and regional policy framework on
qualifications are adopted.GESCI made a presentation at the most recent partners meeting which
attracted the attention of Education Cannot Wait, among others. The meeting provided an avenue for
partners to assess specific country needs and mapping out funds/support provided to IGAD members
on education for refugees. For further information contact; angela.arnott@gesci.org
African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Leadership Training- Kenya 3-4th December. GESCI, in partnership with The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
(MoEST) and the Teachers Service Commission, met with the heads of 80 secondary schools
implementing the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) in Kenya. Main activities of the 2 day event included taking stock of progress made on transforming the 80 schools to become Digital Schools of Distinction (DSD). Visit: http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/80-school-heads-attend-leadershiptraining-in-kenya/ For further information contact: esther.wachira@gesci.org
GESCI trained Teacher receives Presidential Award –Kenya.
14th December. Maxwell Vincent Kayesi, one of the teachers undergoing training through the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Programme at Karuri High School, Kiambu County, Kenya takes The Presidential Jamhuri Day Award.Visit: http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/adsi-teacher-receivespresidential-award/Teachers Union awards high performing teachers
14th December. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) awarded the Secondary Head
Teacher of The Year, Teacher of The Year and the ICT Teacher of the Year with trophies and a car
each. The trio received the awards during the 61st Annual Delegates Conference of KNUT held at the
Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi. The Union works closely with the Teachers' Employer Teachers Service
Commission and The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) to ensure teachers
have ample conditions to work in. Maxwell Kayesi, a GESCI trained teacher was among those feted by the union.Visit: http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/kenya-national-union-of-teachers-knut-fetesoutstanding-teachers/5September
Launch of the UN Youth Strategy in 2018, New York, USA
24th September, 2018. The first comprehensive UN Youth Strategy was adopted at the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) High Level week in September 2018. UM MGCY had played an active role in the process and designing the strategy. This included providing inputs to the drafts of the Strategy during the different phases of its formation - both through virtual and in person participation at different meetings. In addition, the UN MGCY had a plenary speaker in the launch event of the strategy at the UNGA. Visit: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/what-we-do/un-inter-agency-network-on-youth-development.html
UNESCO, UNFPA, UNIC, UNICEF and Youth Agenda. African Youth have for a long time been
misjudged as being disengaged, passive and that they lacked the capacity to positively contribute to
the continent’s development. It was therefore deemed necessary that an appropriate platform is given
to these youth, in particular the young women, to share different interventions and initiatives they are
involved in that seek to address the challenges facing their respective communities. Visit:
http://fawe.org/home/2019/01/21/fawe-un-agencies-and-partners-hold-inaugural-youth-led-convening-in-efforts-to-unleash-thepotential-of-youth-in-africa/Continental Experts and Practitioners’ Dialogue on Youth Entrepreneurship Promotion in Africa , Addis Abba, Ethiopia
30-31st October, 2018. The goal of the dialogue event was to collect expertise on the youth
entrepreneurship promotion process from skills development to start up promotion and to map out
good practices and success factors. German Cooperation, specifically the programme supporting the
Pan African University, supports the expert and practitioners’ dialogue. Contributions from the Skills
Initiative for Africa and the Continental Africa Agriculture Programme (CAADP) will be planned. For further information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
November Launch of the CESA Curriculum Development Thematic Cluster Coordination
Meeting , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
12th-13th November,2018. This meeting brought together experts from member States and major
stakeholders and organisations in the field of Curriculum Development to review and adopt a joint
work plan, as well as operational modalities of the CESA Curriculum Development. GESCI Co-chairs the CESA ICT in Education Cluster. For further Information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
The expected outcomes from the workshop included identifying gaps needs and the process of
updating the PAUWES Curriculum. For Further information contact: NjengaB@africanunion.org
International Day of Education- marked by various education actors globally
24th January, 2019. Following the Global Education Meeting in Brussels (December 2018), the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 24 as the International Day of Education to celebrate Events – Past (2018) and Upcoming in 2019 the role of education for peace and development. UNESCO will ensure the annual observance of the event in partnership with other major education actors.
Hands on the Future Skills Show and TVET Conference-Nairobi, Kenya
8-10th February,2019 . The Permanent Working Group on TVET (PWG) cooperation with Technical
Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) under the Patronage of State Department of
Vocational and Technical Training in the Ministry of Education will host the Hands on The Future –
Kenya Skills Show in 2019.The conference seeks to sensitize youth and their guardians on the varied
opportunities in TVET, improve public perception of TVET in Kenya, as well as provide a collaborative forum for TVET stakeholders.
National Teacher ICT Competition Advisory Council Meeting- Nairobi Kenya 11th February, 2019. GESCI has been selected as member of the ICT Teacher Advisory Council by the ICT Authority in Kenya. The ICT Authority is leading a government multi-agency implementation of the Digital Literacy Programme in Kenya which targets about 24,000 primary schools in all the 47 counties
with various digital devices to enhance teaching and learning. Other members in the council are
Ministry of Education, Kenya, ICTA, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Teachers
Service Commission(TSC), Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE),Microsoft, Intel and UNESCO.
For further information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
Aid and International Development Forum Africa Summit 2019
26-27thFebruary 2019. The Summit is focused on development and humanitarian relief in Africa, aiming to unite humanitarian and development leaders from NGOs, governments, donors and UN agencies to increase resilience, preparedness, innovation and collaboration amongst humanitarian actors in the region. GESCI has been invited to give a presentation. For further information Contact:
bmehmetcik@aidforum.org
The Week will include a symposium, a policy forum, workshops, strategy labs and side events. visit:
https://en.unesco.org/events/mobile-learning-week-2019
Innovating Education in Africa Expo 2019 Planning Meeting , Dar Es Salaam,
Tanzania 7th March, 2019. The Innovating Education in Africa Expo is a flagship event of the African Union Commission which is intended to showcase practical social and technological innovations aimed at enhancing access ,quality, relevance and inclusion in education in order to release the potential for empowerment, employability and inventiveness. The purpose is to identify innovations that can be replicated and rescaled. For further information contact : owusum@africa-union.org
IGAD Livelihoods Meeting , Kampala, Uganda 11-12th March,2019. Ministers of Labour from IGAD member countries will have a convening to discuss TVET and employment among member states of IGAD. For further information contact: fathia.alwan@igad.int
Global Education Skills Forum , Dubai, United Arab Emirates 22nd – 24th March. The Global Education & Skills Forum is an initiative of the Varkey Foundation bringing together leaders from the public, private and social sectors, to demonstrate that education is the key to solving global issues. At the Forum delegates ask what education should be, and how we can get there together, taking a multi-stakeholder, innovative approach.
visit: https://www.educationandskillsforum.org/news-blogs/gesf-2019-who-is-changing-the-world/
Global
The State of Global Education
In the second half of 2017, two major reports were released by the World Bank and the Global
Education Monitoring Report to take the pulse of global education, in particular in the world's poorest
countries. The Learning Generation by the Education Commission, and GPE's Results Report
2015/2016 also have major statistics.These findings have various take aways as highlighted here:
https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/state-global-education-8-charts Africa
SADC Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA)
Johannesburg, South Africa.
27-28 September. The SADC Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA) held a
meeting that was attended by Chief Executive Officers and Directors of national institutions
responsible for certification and accreditation of education and skills training, from the following
Member States: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and the SADC Secretariat. www.sadc.int
Countries
Rwanda: Distribution of Laptops to Students on Scholarship Loans launched
In a bid to enhance teaching and learning using ICT as a driving tool, the Minister of Education Dr.
Eugene Mutimura presided over event to officially launch an ongoing exercise to distribute Laptops to Students on Scholarship Loans at University of Rwanda and Rwanda Polytechnic. Visit:
http://mineduc.gov.rw/media/news/details news/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=854&cHash=4ef1d25628de6eab345219109da736ad Ethiopia: Policy Workshop on Developing a National ICT in Education Policy
The Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, UNESCO Headquarters, UNESCO-IICBA and UNESCO Liaison
Office launched the policy workshop on developing a national ICT in education policy and master plan for Ethiopia with the financial support of WeiDong Cloud Education Group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
National participants of the workshop were ICT specialists from different Universities in Ethiopia, the Federal TVET Agency, the Ministry of Education and the Oromia Education Bureau. The main
objectives of the workshop were to develop the national ICT in education policy and master plan by
incorporating open educational resources, enhancing the capacity of the Government and planning
next steps through to completion, which include a wider consultation, finalization, adoption and
launch.Visit: http://www.iicba.unesco.org/node/320 Accessed on 3rd October 2018
Niger: Realizing the joy of learning maths
Through the “School for All” project, children in Niger made impressive gains in math thanks to extra hours of class and support to teachers and communities, proving that tackling the learning crisis is possible even in difficult contexts. Like many other African countries, Niger is severely affected by the learning crisis and the scale of the problem becomes larger due to the continuous increase in the
population size. The factors behind the crisis are complex and include: motivation and skills of
teachers, readiness of learners, school management and school inputs such as textbooks, technology
and infrastructure (The World Bank, 2018).In 2018, over 3,500 schools and communities in the
Tillaberi region collaborated to organize remedial extracurricular activities in basic mathematics by
voluntary contribution of teacher, parents and community members under the “School for All” project.
So far, about 300,000 students from 1st to 4th grades have been able to catch up in number recognition and basic math operations. Visit: www.globalpartnership.org Accessed on October 12, 2018 Education Development News
2019 Erasmus+ call; Ugandan academics, students and professionals targeted
Ugandan academics, students and professionals in the field of education, training, youth and sport
stand a chance to benefit from the prestigious Erasmus+ programme following publication of the 2019 call for proposals. The Erasmus+ programme is the European Union's programme for education, training, youth and sport, which supports learning mobility of individuals, cooperation for innovation, transnational partnerships and national efforts to modernise systems. The international dimension of the programme -- cooperation with partner countries across the globe -- focuses on higher education and youth. For More information on how to apply, please follow links below: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/
EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2018.384.01.0004.01.ENG&toc=OJ:C:2018:384:TOC
Next Einstein Forum Fellows Application 2019 – 2021 Now Open!
The NEF Fellows is a select programme that recognises Africa’s best young scientists and
technologists. The NEF Fellows programme consists of Africa’s most brilliant young scientists that the NEF showcases on the global stage. The NEF Fellows programme provides these brilliant young
minds with the opportunity to present their research and draw upon the vast networks of NEF
members and participants for support, connections and advice to advance their work. To apply Visit:
nef.org
560 free online courses from 200 universities
Variety of online courses in the fields of Education Technology and Business.
Visit: https://medium.freecodecamp.org/200-universities-just-launched-560-free-online-courses-heres-the-full-list-d9dd13600b04
Women's STEM Award 2019
Deutsche Telekom praises the Women's STEM Award! STEM graduates women from all over the
world can submit their thesis with focus on one of the strategic growth areas:
Cloud, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Networks of the Future. To apply visit: https://challenge.telekom.com/en/challenges/women-stem-award-2019?lang=en
Gulu Univerity Student Enterprise Win $1,000 From The Agri –Preneurship
Alliance JuFresh Enterprise is the name of a student enterprise made up of five young dynamic students pursuing MSc. Agri-Enterprises Development at Gulu University in Northern Uganda. The enterprise which started operating in November 2018 at Gulu University is venturing into producing a variety of fresh fruit juice and fruit salads. Visit: www.ruforum.org
Call for Applications for MCF@RUFORUM Scholarships – 2019
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), in partnership with Mastercard Foundation is implementing an eight year transformative project to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development. The aim of the partnership is to transform African agricultural universities and their graduates to better respond to developmental challenges through enhanced application of science, technology, business and innovation for rural agricultural transformation.
Application procedure: Applicants should obtain application forms for both the scholarships and
admission from the university of choice. Applicants shall only apply to one university of choice.
Application forms can also be downloaded by clicking following websites: RUFORUM; Gulu University and Egerton University . Applicants are encouraged to carefully study the application guidelines and provide all the required information and documents prior to submitting the application. Females are particularly encouraged to apply. Application Deadline: The deadline to apply for the MCF@RUFORUM Scholarships is Sunday 31st March 2019 at 17:00 Hours (GMT+3). Download the MCF Application Form 2019 and the Advert MCF Scholarship here:
https://ruforum.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/MCF-final-Form-2019.pdf
Vacancies, Awards and other opportunities
Google For Education
Google for Education can support teachers, learners, researchers, and organizations. Learn more
about the collaborative tools of G Suite for Education, powerful and affordable Chromebooks, and the
Big Data, machine learning, and storage tools within Google Cloud Platform. Visit: https://edu.google.com/?
Africa Innovations Handbook
The Africa Education Innovations handbook documents 63 innovations in the words of the innovators
themselves who were present for the first Innovating Education in Africa Expo, held in Dakar from 4-6
October 2018. It contributes to raising the visibility of identified innovative practices and products in
education in order that they can be supported, upscaled, replicated or further developed.Visit: http://eduau.
org/jdownloads/Periodic%20Publications/Africa_Education_Innovations_Handbook/Africa_Education_Innovations_Handbook
_2018_final.pdf
SDG 4 Data Digest: Data to Nurture Learning
Launched in December, the SDG 4 Data Digest 2018: Data to Nurture Learning highlights the
importance of monitoring learning, from early childhood education to adult literacy programmes,
offering a series of good practices to inform the learning indicators of SDG 4. Published by the
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), a key objective of this publication is to help governments use
data effectively to ensure the provision of quality education. The Digest emphasizes the work of the
Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) working with countries to develop indicators and
methodological tools to measure progress toward SDG 4. The Digest also advocates for more
participation in major international or regional assessments, which would be a cost-effective decision
for donor and governments. As estimated by the UIS, “solid data on learning to gauge whether
approaches are working or whether reforms are needed could improve education spending efficiency
by 5%, saving $30 million each year in the average country and paying for the cost assessments
hundreds of times over.”
2018 World Development Report
Although published in October 2017, the World Bank’s 2018 World Development Report was a key
resource throughout this year as for the first time, it was entirely devoted to education. Under the
theme “LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise”, the publication identifies some of the persisting
challenges: for instance, the latest international learning assessments show that in spite of a steady
progress to provide access to education to all, many children still lack foundational literacy and
numeracy skills when they finish school. The report offers three main policy solutions to tackle the
issues identified: 1) assess learning effectively so that schools start working for learners; 2) act on the
evidence gathered, taking into account the potential system-level technical and political barriers to
learning; and 3) mobilizing actors and tracking progress, so that the system works for learning.
Newsletter information sources include:
African Countries’ and Ministry of Education websites, University World News, SADC, UNESCO, UIS, IRIN News, World Bank,
All Africa Global Media, Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), Association of African Universities
(AAU),IIEP, IICBA, OSISA, African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF),SciDev.net, Pambazuka Newsletter, FAWE and general sources.
The comments expressed in this newsletter are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the GESCI or those GESCI represents. No responsibility is therefore taken for the veracity of information provided.
GESCI’s African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) is funded by the Mastercard Foundation, Canada.
Networking and Resources
Gesci Foundation.
The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI) is an international non-profit organisation founded on the recommendation of the United Nations Task Force on Information Communication Technology (ICT). GESCI was established in 2003 at the first World Summit on the Information Society.
“The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative matches the power of ICT with educational need, and has the potential not only to improve education, but also to empower people, strengthen governance, open up new markets and galvanise our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals”Kofi Anan, Secretary of the United Nations 2003.
The United Nations ICT Task Force identified education as an area in critical need of development, and one where ICT has the potential to make a very significant and positive impact. Initially GESCI was headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The founding supporters included the Governments of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. In 2011, GESCI signed a Host Country Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Kenya when it transferred its headquarters from Ireland to Nairobi, Kenya, where it now resides as a full international organisation.
Quarter 4 2018 Newsletter . Issue 4
Contents:
01: GESCI Activities
02: Events Past and Upcoming
03: Education Development News
04: Vacancies, awards and Opportunities
05: Networking and Resources
JuneICT Teacher of the Year Award-Kenya
June 2018. eKitabu in collaboration with Teachers Service Commission (TSC), CEMASTEA and
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has come up with an award for the best
innovative teachers in classroom practices in mathematics and sciences. This award is known as the
iTOYA Award; i for ICT Integration in Teaching and Learning and TOYA for Teacher of the Year
Award Maxwell Kayesi, a Physics teacher at Karuri High School in Kiambu County , one of the
schools participating in the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Programme scooped the ICT
Teacher of the year Award of the year. Mr Kayesi is a School Based Coordinator at the Karuri
overseeing all (ADSI) project activities in terms of ICT Integration. For further information contact
esther.wachira@gesci.org
July
International Conference on Private Higher Education in Africa, Addis, Ethiopia
25-27 July 2018. GESCI chaired a session of St. Mary’s University 16th International Conference on
Private Higher Education in Africa in partnership with the African Union Commission, Association of African Universities, IICBA/UNESCO, IGAD, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Education, International Network of Higher Education in Africa and the Ethiopian Airlines/Aviation Academy. The Conference created a platform for a wide-range of actors, educators, policy/decision-makers, higher education leaders, and partners engaged in the promotion of higher education to deliberate on issues pertinent to the enhancement of quality education in African institutions of higher learning. GESCI’s CEO spoke on “Incorporating Effective Entrepreneurialism and Employment Skills through a set of Coherent Higher Education Initiativies” The Conference generated policy-relevant
recommendations from various scientific research papers under different themes and sub-themes. It
provided an opportunity for networking among researchers, educators and leaders in higher education
institutions. For further information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
September
African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Schools Knowledge Deepening PhaseCatch-Up Training , Kenya
September. The Country Programme Manager ADSI and Kenya County Project Coordinators
conducted catch-up trainings for teachers who were yet to reach the required levels to be certified for
the Knowledge Deepening phase of training. For further information contact: esther.wachira@gesci.org.
African Union Refugee EMIS, Kampala, Uganda
GESCI was a core member in organizing the inaugural African Union Refugee EMIS meeting, in
Kampala, Uganda in September. This brought together a small group of experts, partners, including
UNHCR, and member states (Kenya and Uganda) to develop a concept note to expand a strategy of
country engagement on this critical theme in preparation for the AU thematic year of the Refugee and
Migrants. For further information contact: angela.arnott@gesci.org
October
Innovating Education in Africa Expo, Dakar, Senegal4-5 October. The African Union Human Resources, Science and Technology co-hosted a conference,
chaired by Minister of Higher Education and Research, Senegal, which brought together education
innovators from all of Africa. GESCI participated on various panels on innovative practices as well as chaired the expert group that selected the final prizewinners. This exposure of GESCI practices
brought on enquiries for engagement from the Minister of Education, Botswana; from Deputy PS of
Education, Gambia and Special Education Director, Malawi, among others. Visit:http://gesci.org/newsroom/events/single/news/detail/News/innovating-education-in-africa-expo/
GESCI Activities
The Global Partnership in Education Proposal , Dodoma, Tanzania
7th October, 2018. GESCI supported the development of GPE application and participated the meeting by government on the endorsement of the full proposal report on the GPE Application for Tanzania for $90m. The overall objective of GPE grant is to enhance universal access and participation in quality Pre-primary, Primary and Non-Formal Education with particular attention to learners from vulnerable groups who need opportunities for primary education. GESCI is currently implementing an innovative ICT in Education programme in Tanzania in 40 secondary schools based in Morogoro and Pwani funded by Mastercard Foundation, Canada. For further information contact: joyce.msolla@gesci.org and angela.arnott@gesci.org
African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Expert Working Group Meeting –Tanzania
10-12th October. Officials from Education Institutions forming the Expert Working Group (EWG) meet to review Modules on Knowledge Deepening before training commences in January 2019. For further information contact: joyce.msolla@gesci.org
Ecole Numérique d'Excellence Africaine (ENEA) Technology Literacy Phase
Online Tutoring and School Leadership Training – Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
15 October. 200 teachers from Abidjan and Yamoussoukro were introduced to Module 1 of training on Technology Literacy. Heads of Schools were also taken through on whole-school ICT
Implementation.ICT Integartion roadmaps and guidebooks were issued to each of the 20 secondary
schools. For further information contact; sylvie.tanflotien@gesci.org Exploratory Mission to Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement Scheme , Turkana, Kenya
17th – 19th October. GESCI was invited by Ministry of Education through its participation in the IGAD
Technical Working Group to work in Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee schools given its expertise and
resources in teacher development and whole school ICT integration. Staff supported by Ministry of
Education personnel with the agreement of UNCHR , visited the schools met with key stakeholders
and heads of Primary and Secondary Schools to consider a proposal. Additionally opportunities for
TVET intervention were scoped. For further information contact : esther.wachira@gesci.org
Regional Education and Learning (RELI) Convening , Zanzibar, Tanzania
22-23 October. Under the umbrella of The Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in
Secondary Education (PSIPSE), GESCI joined the RELI network of around 60 organizations, experts, academics and government officials from Tanzania working in education development sector. RELI network seeks to relate to cross-project learning through the development of thematic principles of good practice, policy influence, better coordination and alignment of participating organizations.
GESCI has been selected to work within the initiative to enhance learning on the thematic areas of
Learner Centered Teaching, ICT Integration in Education and Values and Life skills Education. GESCI contributed a significant chapter to the recent PSIPSE publication on best practices in secondary education. For further information contact: sam.otieno@gesci.org
Pan-African Virtual e-University Memorandum of Agreement
In October,GESCI developed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Pan African Virtual e-
University (PAVEU) to further develop post-graduate virtual diplomas in African Leadership in ICTs
and Knowledge Society (successfully run by GESCI in 16 countries with over 500 graduates in 2017);in Women Leadership in Science, Technology and Innovation (drafted with FAWE and finalized this year, it will involve all 5 African Pan-African Universities contributing curriculum related to their specialist domains); as well as accrediting the GESCI post-graduate diploma for Teacher Competency in ICTs in Teaching and Learning (developed from the African Digital Schools Initiative experiences). Additionally, a post graduate diploma in Transformative Leadership in Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock is proposed and will be developed with partners. The MOA will be formalized in early 2019. For further information contact: angela.arnott@gesci.org
November
International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 Annual Meeting and 11th Policy Dialogue Forum, Montego Bay, Jamaica 5-9th November. GESCI, co- chair of the sub-committee on “Teacher education: Digital learning and continuing professional development” helped organize the sub-theme of the International Task Force on teachers for Education Policy dialogue Forum. GESCI’s African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Country Programme Manager, attended and contributed by sharing Insights on “Strengthening Teacher Education: A prerequisite for quality teaching, training and learning.”The meeting was attended by education policy makers from over 60 countries in the world. The
taskforce on Teachers for Education for All (TTF) is an alliance of committed partners driven by a
steering committee composed of countries, intergovernmental organizations, international non-profit
organizations, private organisations and actors interested in issues on teachers and
teaching.Visit:http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/21st-century-teaching-in-full- implementation/ For further information contact: esther.wachira@gesci.org
GESCI signs EU contract to support Sierra Leone with EMIS 12-23rd November. GESCI has been contracted to provide technical support under the EU’s 11th Education Development Fund to the government, in providing expertise for the design of systems and development of capacity in establishing sector-wide ICT-enabled planning and monitoring for Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as Ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
This will be on-going into 2019. For further information contact: angela.arnott@gesci.org
GESCI at mEducation Alliance Symposium , Washington,USA 5-9 November. GESCI’s as member of the m Education Alliance Steering Committee, attended both this meeting and the Symposium held in Washington USA, in November 2018. Mobiles for Education
Alliance Steering Committee members, include selected Ministry of Education officials and other
invited guest representatives from other organizations investing in global, regional and national
technology in education initiatives. The Symposium focused on Using Technology to Scale Support
for Teachers and Community Educators in Low-Resource Environments. GESCI’s CEO
moderated two sessions including one on Real-Time Classroom and Community Data Collection and
Monitoring as well as presenting GESCI’s programmes. For further information contact:
jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
December
Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration on Education for Refugees, AddisAbaba,Ethiopia
2-5th December. GESCI was invited to the Second Conference of IGAD Ministers in charge of
Education. The meeting’s focus was to adopt a costed action plan for implementation of the Djibouti
Declaration (DD) and Plan of Action in the next 2-5 years; validate and regional policy framework on
qualifications are adopted.GESCI made a presentation at the most recent partners meeting which
attracted the attention of Education Cannot Wait, among others. The meeting provided an avenue for
partners to assess specific country needs and mapping out funds/support provided to IGAD members
on education for refugees. For further information contact; angela.arnott@gesci.org
African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Leadership Training- Kenya 3-4th December. GESCI, in partnership with The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
(MoEST) and the Teachers Service Commission, met with the heads of 80 secondary schools
implementing the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) in Kenya. Main activities of the 2 day event included taking stock of progress made on transforming the 80 schools to become Digital Schools of Distinction (DSD). Visit: http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/80-school-heads-attend-leadershiptraining-in-kenya/ For further information contact: esther.wachira@gesci.org
GESCI trained Teacher receives Presidential Award –Kenya.
14th December. Maxwell Vincent Kayesi, one of the teachers undergoing training through the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) Programme at Karuri High School, Kiambu County, Kenya takes The Presidential Jamhuri Day Award.Visit: http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/adsi-teacher-receivespresidential-award/Teachers Union awards high performing teachers
14th December. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) awarded the Secondary Head
Teacher of The Year, Teacher of The Year and the ICT Teacher of the Year with trophies and a car
each. The trio received the awards during the 61st Annual Delegates Conference of KNUT held at the
Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi. The Union works closely with the Teachers' Employer Teachers Service
Commission and The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) to ensure teachers
have ample conditions to work in. Maxwell Kayesi, a GESCI trained teacher was among those feted by the union.Visit: http://gesci.org/news-room/news/single/news/detail/News/kenya-national-union-of-teachers-knut-fetesoutstanding-teachers/5September
Launch of the UN Youth Strategy in 2018, New York, USA
24th September, 2018. The first comprehensive UN Youth Strategy was adopted at the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) High Level week in September 2018. UM MGCY had played an active role in the process and designing the strategy. This included providing inputs to the drafts of the Strategy during the different phases of its formation - both through virtual and in person participation at different meetings. In addition, the UN MGCY had a plenary speaker in the launch event of the strategy at the UNGA. Visit: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/what-we-do/un-inter-agency-network-on-youth-development.html
October
The Africa Youth Conference, Nairobi, Kenya 23- 25th October,2018 . The Africa Youth Conference with the theme ‘Unleashing the Potential of Youth in Africa through Prioritizing Investment within the Post-2015 Agenda on Sustainable Development’ was held at the United Nation Complex in Gigiri, Nairobi Kenya. This convening was facilitated through a collaboration with UN Women working with FAWE, Africa Alliance of YMCA, UNDP, UN Environment,UNESCO, UNFPA, UNIC, UNICEF and Youth Agenda. African Youth have for a long time been
misjudged as being disengaged, passive and that they lacked the capacity to positively contribute to
the continent’s development. It was therefore deemed necessary that an appropriate platform is given
to these youth, in particular the young women, to share different interventions and initiatives they are
involved in that seek to address the challenges facing their respective communities. Visit:
http://fawe.org/home/2019/01/21/fawe-un-agencies-and-partners-hold-inaugural-youth-led-convening-in-efforts-to-unleash-thepotential-of-youth-in-africa/Continental Experts and Practitioners’ Dialogue on Youth Entrepreneurship Promotion in Africa , Addis Abba, Ethiopia
30-31st October, 2018. The goal of the dialogue event was to collect expertise on the youth
entrepreneurship promotion process from skills development to start up promotion and to map out
good practices and success factors. German Cooperation, specifically the programme supporting the
Pan African University, supports the expert and practitioners’ dialogue. Contributions from the Skills
Initiative for Africa and the Continental Africa Agriculture Programme (CAADP) will be planned. For further information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
November Launch of the CESA Curriculum Development Thematic Cluster Coordination
Meeting , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
12th-13th November,2018. This meeting brought together experts from member States and major
stakeholders and organisations in the field of Curriculum Development to review and adopt a joint
work plan, as well as operational modalities of the CESA Curriculum Development. GESCI Co-chairs the CESA ICT in Education Cluster. For further Information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
January 2019
PAUWES Curricula Review Validation Workshop, Tiemcen, Algeria 23-25th January,2019. The Pan African University of Waters and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), one of the five African Union Institutes of Excellence, based in Algeria held a workshop with key stakeholders.The expected outcomes from the workshop included identifying gaps needs and the process of
updating the PAUWES Curriculum. For Further information contact: NjengaB@africanunion.org
International Day of Education- marked by various education actors globally
24th January, 2019. Following the Global Education Meeting in Brussels (December 2018), the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 24 as the International Day of Education to celebrate Events – Past (2018) and Upcoming in 2019 the role of education for peace and development. UNESCO will ensure the annual observance of the event in partnership with other major education actors.
February 2019
African Union Summit on Protecting Education for Children and Women on the move in Africa- Addis Abba, Ethiopia 5th February 2019. Organized by the African Union Commission in partnership with the embassies of Nigeria and Liberia as well as Save the Children International and the Norwegian Embassy all based in Addis Ababa, holds this summit. It will include the endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration and Guidelines, as well as sharing of experiences on how member states are ensuring safe schools and campuses enabling Continuous education for Children and Women affected by humanitarian situations in Africa. For further information contact : NjengaB@africanunion.org8-10th February,2019 . The Permanent Working Group on TVET (PWG) cooperation with Technical
Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) under the Patronage of State Department of
Vocational and Technical Training in the Ministry of Education will host the Hands on The Future –
Kenya Skills Show in 2019.The conference seeks to sensitize youth and their guardians on the varied
opportunities in TVET, improve public perception of TVET in Kenya, as well as provide a collaborative forum for TVET stakeholders.
National Teacher ICT Competition Advisory Council Meeting- Nairobi Kenya 11th February, 2019. GESCI has been selected as member of the ICT Teacher Advisory Council by the ICT Authority in Kenya. The ICT Authority is leading a government multi-agency implementation of the Digital Literacy Programme in Kenya which targets about 24,000 primary schools in all the 47 counties
with various digital devices to enhance teaching and learning. Other members in the council are
Ministry of Education, Kenya, ICTA, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Teachers
Service Commission(TSC), Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE),Microsoft, Intel and UNESCO.
For further information contact: jerome.morrissey@gesci.org
Aid and International Development Forum Africa Summit 2019
26-27thFebruary 2019. The Summit is focused on development and humanitarian relief in Africa, aiming to unite humanitarian and development leaders from NGOs, governments, donors and UN agencies to increase resilience, preparedness, innovation and collaboration amongst humanitarian actors in the region. GESCI has been invited to give a presentation. For further information Contact:
bmehmetcik@aidforum.org
March 2019
UNESCO Mobile Learning Week- Paris, France 4th-8th March. Mobile Learning Week is UNESCO's flagship ICT in education conference. Held annually since 2011, the event convenes experts from around the world to share how affordable and powerful advanced technology can accelerate learning for all.A wide range of participants, including officials from Ministries of Education and ICT, international experts, representatives from major partners in the field and private companies will be present to share innovative ways of learning with new technologies.The Week will include a symposium, a policy forum, workshops, strategy labs and side events. visit:
https://en.unesco.org/events/mobile-learning-week-2019
Innovating Education in Africa Expo 2019 Planning Meeting , Dar Es Salaam,
Tanzania 7th March, 2019. The Innovating Education in Africa Expo is a flagship event of the African Union Commission which is intended to showcase practical social and technological innovations aimed at enhancing access ,quality, relevance and inclusion in education in order to release the potential for empowerment, employability and inventiveness. The purpose is to identify innovations that can be replicated and rescaled. For further information contact : owusum@africa-union.org
IGAD Livelihoods Meeting , Kampala, Uganda 11-12th March,2019. Ministers of Labour from IGAD member countries will have a convening to discuss TVET and employment among member states of IGAD. For further information contact: fathia.alwan@igad.int
Global Education Skills Forum , Dubai, United Arab Emirates 22nd – 24th March. The Global Education & Skills Forum is an initiative of the Varkey Foundation bringing together leaders from the public, private and social sectors, to demonstrate that education is the key to solving global issues. At the Forum delegates ask what education should be, and how we can get there together, taking a multi-stakeholder, innovative approach.
visit: https://www.educationandskillsforum.org/news-blogs/gesf-2019-who-is-changing-the-world/
Global
The State of Global Education
In the second half of 2017, two major reports were released by the World Bank and the Global
Education Monitoring Report to take the pulse of global education, in particular in the world's poorest
countries. The Learning Generation by the Education Commission, and GPE's Results Report
2015/2016 also have major statistics.These findings have various take aways as highlighted here:
https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/state-global-education-8-charts Africa
SADC Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA)
Johannesburg, South Africa.
27-28 September. The SADC Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA) held a
meeting that was attended by Chief Executive Officers and Directors of national institutions
responsible for certification and accreditation of education and skills training, from the following
Member States: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and the SADC Secretariat. www.sadc.int
Countries
Rwanda: Distribution of Laptops to Students on Scholarship Loans launched
In a bid to enhance teaching and learning using ICT as a driving tool, the Minister of Education Dr.
Eugene Mutimura presided over event to officially launch an ongoing exercise to distribute Laptops to Students on Scholarship Loans at University of Rwanda and Rwanda Polytechnic. Visit:
http://mineduc.gov.rw/media/news/details news/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=854&cHash=4ef1d25628de6eab345219109da736ad Ethiopia: Policy Workshop on Developing a National ICT in Education Policy
The Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, UNESCO Headquarters, UNESCO-IICBA and UNESCO Liaison
Office launched the policy workshop on developing a national ICT in education policy and master plan for Ethiopia with the financial support of WeiDong Cloud Education Group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
National participants of the workshop were ICT specialists from different Universities in Ethiopia, the Federal TVET Agency, the Ministry of Education and the Oromia Education Bureau. The main
objectives of the workshop were to develop the national ICT in education policy and master plan by
incorporating open educational resources, enhancing the capacity of the Government and planning
next steps through to completion, which include a wider consultation, finalization, adoption and
launch.Visit: http://www.iicba.unesco.org/node/320 Accessed on 3rd October 2018
Niger: Realizing the joy of learning maths
Through the “School for All” project, children in Niger made impressive gains in math thanks to extra hours of class and support to teachers and communities, proving that tackling the learning crisis is possible even in difficult contexts. Like many other African countries, Niger is severely affected by the learning crisis and the scale of the problem becomes larger due to the continuous increase in the
population size. The factors behind the crisis are complex and include: motivation and skills of
teachers, readiness of learners, school management and school inputs such as textbooks, technology
and infrastructure (The World Bank, 2018).In 2018, over 3,500 schools and communities in the
Tillaberi region collaborated to organize remedial extracurricular activities in basic mathematics by
voluntary contribution of teacher, parents and community members under the “School for All” project.
So far, about 300,000 students from 1st to 4th grades have been able to catch up in number recognition and basic math operations. Visit: www.globalpartnership.org Accessed on October 12, 2018 Education Development News
2019 Erasmus+ call; Ugandan academics, students and professionals targeted
Ugandan academics, students and professionals in the field of education, training, youth and sport
stand a chance to benefit from the prestigious Erasmus+ programme following publication of the 2019 call for proposals. The Erasmus+ programme is the European Union's programme for education, training, youth and sport, which supports learning mobility of individuals, cooperation for innovation, transnational partnerships and national efforts to modernise systems. The international dimension of the programme -- cooperation with partner countries across the globe -- focuses on higher education and youth. For More information on how to apply, please follow links below: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/
EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2018.384.01.0004.01.ENG&toc=OJ:C:2018:384:TOC
Next Einstein Forum Fellows Application 2019 – 2021 Now Open!
The NEF Fellows is a select programme that recognises Africa’s best young scientists and
technologists. The NEF Fellows programme consists of Africa’s most brilliant young scientists that the NEF showcases on the global stage. The NEF Fellows programme provides these brilliant young
minds with the opportunity to present their research and draw upon the vast networks of NEF
members and participants for support, connections and advice to advance their work. To apply Visit:
nef.org
560 free online courses from 200 universities
Variety of online courses in the fields of Education Technology and Business.
Visit: https://medium.freecodecamp.org/200-universities-just-launched-560-free-online-courses-heres-the-full-list-d9dd13600b04
Women's STEM Award 2019
Deutsche Telekom praises the Women's STEM Award! STEM graduates women from all over the
world can submit their thesis with focus on one of the strategic growth areas:
Cloud, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Networks of the Future. To apply visit: https://challenge.telekom.com/en/challenges/women-stem-award-2019?lang=en
Gulu Univerity Student Enterprise Win $1,000 From The Agri –Preneurship
Alliance JuFresh Enterprise is the name of a student enterprise made up of five young dynamic students pursuing MSc. Agri-Enterprises Development at Gulu University in Northern Uganda. The enterprise which started operating in November 2018 at Gulu University is venturing into producing a variety of fresh fruit juice and fruit salads. Visit: www.ruforum.org
Call for Applications for MCF@RUFORUM Scholarships – 2019
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), in partnership with Mastercard Foundation is implementing an eight year transformative project to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development. The aim of the partnership is to transform African agricultural universities and their graduates to better respond to developmental challenges through enhanced application of science, technology, business and innovation for rural agricultural transformation.
Application procedure: Applicants should obtain application forms for both the scholarships and
admission from the university of choice. Applicants shall only apply to one university of choice.
Application forms can also be downloaded by clicking following websites: RUFORUM; Gulu University and Egerton University . Applicants are encouraged to carefully study the application guidelines and provide all the required information and documents prior to submitting the application. Females are particularly encouraged to apply. Application Deadline: The deadline to apply for the MCF@RUFORUM Scholarships is Sunday 31st March 2019 at 17:00 Hours (GMT+3). Download the MCF Application Form 2019 and the Advert MCF Scholarship here:
https://ruforum.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/MCF-final-Form-2019.pdf
Vacancies, Awards and other opportunities
Google For Education
Google for Education can support teachers, learners, researchers, and organizations. Learn more
about the collaborative tools of G Suite for Education, powerful and affordable Chromebooks, and the
Big Data, machine learning, and storage tools within Google Cloud Platform. Visit: https://edu.google.com/?
Africa Innovations Handbook
The Africa Education Innovations handbook documents 63 innovations in the words of the innovators
themselves who were present for the first Innovating Education in Africa Expo, held in Dakar from 4-6
October 2018. It contributes to raising the visibility of identified innovative practices and products in
education in order that they can be supported, upscaled, replicated or further developed.Visit: http://eduau.
org/jdownloads/Periodic%20Publications/Africa_Education_Innovations_Handbook/Africa_Education_Innovations_Handbook
_2018_final.pdf
SDG 4 Data Digest: Data to Nurture Learning
Launched in December, the SDG 4 Data Digest 2018: Data to Nurture Learning highlights the
importance of monitoring learning, from early childhood education to adult literacy programmes,
offering a series of good practices to inform the learning indicators of SDG 4. Published by the
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), a key objective of this publication is to help governments use
data effectively to ensure the provision of quality education. The Digest emphasizes the work of the
Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) working with countries to develop indicators and
methodological tools to measure progress toward SDG 4. The Digest also advocates for more
participation in major international or regional assessments, which would be a cost-effective decision
for donor and governments. As estimated by the UIS, “solid data on learning to gauge whether
approaches are working or whether reforms are needed could improve education spending efficiency
by 5%, saving $30 million each year in the average country and paying for the cost assessments
hundreds of times over.”
2018 World Development Report
Although published in October 2017, the World Bank’s 2018 World Development Report was a key
resource throughout this year as for the first time, it was entirely devoted to education. Under the
theme “LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise”, the publication identifies some of the persisting
challenges: for instance, the latest international learning assessments show that in spite of a steady
progress to provide access to education to all, many children still lack foundational literacy and
numeracy skills when they finish school. The report offers three main policy solutions to tackle the
issues identified: 1) assess learning effectively so that schools start working for learners; 2) act on the
evidence gathered, taking into account the potential system-level technical and political barriers to
learning; and 3) mobilizing actors and tracking progress, so that the system works for learning.
Newsletter information sources include:
African Countries’ and Ministry of Education websites, University World News, SADC, UNESCO, UIS, IRIN News, World Bank,
All Africa Global Media, Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), Association of African Universities
(AAU),IIEP, IICBA, OSISA, African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF),SciDev.net, Pambazuka Newsletter, FAWE and general sources.
The comments expressed in this newsletter are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the GESCI or those GESCI represents. No responsibility is therefore taken for the veracity of information provided.
GESCI’s African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI) is funded by the Mastercard Foundation, Canada.
Networking and Resources
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