British Council, Microsoft and Bharti Airtel Open Learning Channels in Sub-Saharan Africa

Digital Hub Cemtre

British Council has partnered with Microsoft and Airtel to improve educational opportunities and digital access to millions of teachers and learners in 18 digital hubs in Kenya.

Over the past year British Council and Microsoft have partnered with the Kenyan Ministry of Education in developing strong policies to support the integration of Information and Communication Technology into teaching and learning and over the past 18 months, British council in partnership with Microsoft has established over 18 Digital hubs serving over 100 schools in Kenya thus supporting the Kenyan government's long-term goal commitment to improve access and training for teachers and students in the country.

It is through such initiatives of improving the education sector that British Council and Microsoft have partnered with Bharti Airtel to build up on Badiliko Partnership which supports ICT integration in schools across the region hence maximizing learning benefits of Bharti Airtel's wider Broadband connectivity of 5 GB per month in a three year deal for 127 Digital Hubs located in schools across nine countries in Sub Saharan Africa. Apparently,over half a million teachers and learners in the nine Sub Saharan Africa countries which include Kenya,Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda Zambia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Nigeria are set to experience a great change in access to digital educational resources in their schools.

Through this partnership, Bharti Airtel will provide full internet accessibility to British Council Hubs surrounding schools and communities thus high speed broadband access from Bharti Airtel will guarantee teachers and students limitless new educational opportunities as they will serve as ICT Centres for teachers, students and wider communities.

Speaking during the launch of a digital hub at Kilimani Primary School Nairobi, Tony Reilley, Country Director British Council Kenya said, "This latest partnership initiative with Bharti Airtel demonstrates our commitment to improving access to high quality teaching and learning in Africa,The British council connects teachers and learners around the world so that they can learn from each other, access knowledge and ultimately become global citizens." He also added that through their schools programme and ICT integration across Sub-Saharan Africa, they will provide teachers with high quality, cost-effective professional development opportunities.

The event was attended by various dignitaries from Airtel, Microsoft, Ministry of Education,British Council and the Kilimani School fraternity. The digital hub was launched by John Temba,Director ICT Ministry of Education.

Over the last three years, thousands of schools across Sub Saharan Africa have benefited from British Council's work of supporting educators to improve their teaching and learning process through ICT. It has also supported ICT initiatives in African schools that are sustainable and teacher centered."Our Digital ambassadors are now implementing ICT across the continent. Over the past year British Council and Microsoft have trained over 2000 teachers and head teachers in innovative pedagogy and ICT skills in partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Education. Kenya continues to lead the way in Sub-Saharan Africa in providing access to digital learning opportunities to their students" said Reilly.

British Council has invested in digital interventions that have enabled African schools participate in the Global exchange of knowledge and ideas. In order to support governments to consider good practice in this area, the British Council has organized dialogue workshops in several countries highlighting key aspects in ICT intervention. This involves professional development for teachers and school leaders, infrastructure, curriculum, policy engagement and robust monitoring and evaluation.

Over 600 schools in Kenya have benefited from British Council education programmes which include Connection Classrooms, Common wealth Class and Badiliko. Bharti Airtel aims to improve quality of life of communities through their corporate social responsibility work in Education

"We are exited to partner with British Council and to use their established platform to enhance learning and provide internet accessibility in schools and communities around them. This initiative continues our work in Education and Community development in Africa."Said David Ssegawa, Chief Human Resources Officer Airtel Africa.