UNESCO Sahel facilitates dialogue to set up partnership between Huawei, SONATEL

"With the Tech4All programme, we are working with UNESCO all over the world. We are working to help countries at the technical level, to ensure continuity of education, distance learning, and equality in education", explains Mr Li Zhe (Nathan).

Since 2 March 2020, Covid-19 has hit Senegal.  Restrictive measures to deal with it and stem its spread have included, as in most countries, the closure of schools. 

In response to the negative impacts of the pandemic on learning, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay launched the Global Education Coalition https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/globalcoalition, in order to promote inclusive learning opportunities for children and young people, while more than 1.25 billion children and young people still do not have access to their classrooms around the world. Bringing together a wide range of partners, the coalition aims to take coordinated and innovative action to unlock solutions that support students and teachers, focusing on inclusion and equity. Investment in distance learning can help to mitigate the immediate disruption of education caused by the pandemic and define approaches that will enable education systems to be more resilient in the future. Technological equipment, connectivity across territories and the availability of resources are among the key elements to ensure educational continuity for the largest number of students.

Win-win partnerships for all

Within the framework of the Global Education Coalition, the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for West Africa (Sahel) facilitated dialogue to set up a strategic partnership between Huawei, a company specialized in information and communication technology, the telephone operator SONATEL, and the State of Senegal.

This partnership has led to the delivery of 200 tablets for teacher trainers. Monday, 10th of August 2020, the Minister of National Education of Senegal, Mr Mamadou Talla, welcomed at the Ministry Mr Li Zhe (Nathan), Chief Executive Officer of the Huawei company in Senegal, Mr Abdou Karim Sall, Representative of SONATEL, and Mr Dimitri Sanga, Director of the UNESCO Regional Multisectoral Office in Dakar, accompanied by Mr Guillaume Husson, Chief of the Education Section of the UNESCO Office in Dakar.

"With the Tech4All programme, we are working with UNESCO all over the world. We are working to help countries at the technical level, to ensure continuity of education, distance learning, and equality in education", explains Mr Li Zhe (Nathan).

While Senegal may be facing a technological divide, like access to equipment and connectivity is not equal throughout the country, the Minister of National Education, Mr Mamadou Talla, has welcomed this progress made for achieving greater equity for learners, especially those in rural and remote areas.

"I'm simply happy. Because of the fact that the Ministry of National Education, in the 21st century, receives material that ensures pedagogical continuity in the context of the Covid-19, we are happy. Nothing will be the same as before, especially in the field of education. We have to diversify our training offers, our didactic and pedagogical methods, and try to bring them in line with today's world, where digital technology plays a major role. I would like to thank the Global Education Coalition, which had this great idea, with our partner Huawei, and we hope that this collaboration is just beginning. For now, we are receiving 200 tablets for teachers, and with UNESCO and all the technical and financial partners, we have major projects to support them, with a view to achieving territorial equity in access to education and training," said Mr Mamadou Talla.

In the framework of the Global Education Coalition, UNESCO is developing strategic partnerships with member companies that can provide substantial technological media to vulnerable Member States affected by the COVID-19 crisis and for the benefit of the schools and students that are most affected. In order to ensure the sustainability of these partnerships, UNESCO expects member companies to offer preferential prices that will enable the acquisition, and then the maintenance and replacement of these technological media in the long run.

Furthermore, the availability of connectivity is a major issue to ensure pedagogical continuity. The Minister of National Education, Mr Mamadou Talla, also relies on SONATEL to support teachers and students:

"Let us not forget in this great meeting about our strategic partner, SONATEL. We have several tools, we have radios, telephones, TVs, etc. Connectivity today is essential. That is why we need to diversify our partnerships. Certainly, SONATEL will also become one of our partners, in the future", he said.

Indeed, it is essential that SONATEL works to cover all the national territory with an internet connection and to provide connectivity to schools and students at affordable prices.

Training in digital distance learning

Today, techno-pedagogy, as a solution for continuity of learning during the school closure period, needs to occupy an important position in initial and continuous teacher training frameworks: ensuring access to digital resources for all is part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, which response to the United Nations’ principle of leaving no one behind.

"We welcome the work that Huawei is making at the level of Senegal. Huawei, a member of the Global Coalition, has chosen Senegal as the country where we will start offering these services. We are here this morning for the handover of this equipment", said Mr Dimitri Sanga, Director of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for West Africa (Sahel).

This essential step is a turning point for pedagogical continuity in West Africa (Sahel). UNESCO will develop this system of partnerships to support the Member States and works to train trainers and teachers in the use of these technological materials. 

Thus, the 200 tablets handed over by Huawei to the State of Senegal will be used for the training organized by UNESCO of 200 teacher trainers, starting on 17 August. Thanks to the synergy of partnerships facilitated by UNESCO, these trainers will become leaders in digital distance education in Senegal.