The current Covid-19 pandemic has led governments to seek technological solutions to the challenge of maintaining education during lockdown. However, this has highlighted crucial issues with access, connectivity and power. Less than 15% of the world’s population have broadband access, only 44% have internet access in any form and over a billion people do not have a stable power supply.
Systems and protocols implemented in response to the pandemic should be undertaken in a systemic and sustainable way, so as to be also fully integrated in, and supportive of, post-lockdown education. This will ensure greater flexibility and transition between different modes of delivery in the event of similar crises in the future. Teacher capacity building through training and support, from a pedagogical standpoint as well as a technical one, is crucial to the effective integration of technology into education. Distance and Hybrid Learning will have a significant pedagogical impact (such as a shift towards student-centered learning), and practitioners and students need guidance, professional communities and support to respond and benefit from these changes.
