Covid-19 and digital education in Africa

Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted education forcing distance learning. 98% of learning activities
were hampered on the African continent in 2020, along with disrupted feeding and vaccine school-
based programmes.123

Digitalisation, literacy, and access

Digitalisation was necessitated to maintain student education. Student electronic maturity in public
schools was investigated in 2010. 4 Students’ daily computer use ranged from 15-41 minutes in
quintiles 1-5 schools (see graph). 85% of schools had software such as Microsoft Office, yet software
familiarisation was limited.

Daily average time spent on computers at school per learner (Minutes)

15

41
17

29
23

Quintiles
Q1 Q2
Q3 Q4
Q5
Graph created using Stata v14
Adapted from South African Institute for Distance Education 2010 report

Limited digital literacy is worsened because many students in low-income homes do not have devices
or stable connectivity to learn online.5
1
Olaitan Anifowoshe, Abdullahi Tunde Aborode, Tolorunju Ifeoluwap Ayodele, Akinjo Rebecca Iretiayo, Ogunjemilua Oluwafemi David, ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Education
in Sub-Saharan Africa’, Preprints, 3 Jul 2020, file:///C:/Users/cknai/Downloads/preprints202007.0027.v1.pdf
2
‘Report on the Implementation Evaluation of the National School Nutrition Programme’, JET Education Services, 16 Sep 2016,
https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/Research%20Repository/Learner%20Wellness/2020/Report%20on%20the%20%20Implementation
%20Evaluation%20of%20the%20%20National%20School%20Nutrition%20Programme%20-Full%20Report.pdf
3
Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Karen F. Kelley, Shamagonam James, Fiona Scorgie, Hasina Subedar, Nonhlanhla R Dlamini, Yogan Pillay, Nicolette Naidoo, Admire Chikandiwa,
Helen Rees, ‘Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Introduction in South Africa: Implementation Lessons From an Evaluation of the National School-Based Vaccination Campaign’,
3 Oct 2018, https://www.ghspjournal.org/content/6/3/425?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Global_Health
%253A_Science_and_Practice_TrendMD_0
4
‘e-Maturity and e-Readiness Assessment Report’, South African Institute for Distance Education, 30 Jun 2010,
https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/Research%20Repository/LTSM/eMaturity%20and%20eReadiness%20Assessment%20Report.pdf?
ver=2019-09-09-102253-210&timestamp=1570193837092
5
Bekithemba Dube, ‘Rural Online Learning in the Context of COVID-19 in South Africa: Evoking an Inclusive Education Approach’, Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational
Research, 13 May 2020, https://www.hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/remie/article/view/5607
However, previously excluded groups – persons with disabilities who have struggled to access schools
– may benefit from digitalisation provided they’re sufficiently resourced and digitally literate. 6

Notable achievements
Before Covid-19, numerous online schools were established, targeting middle-to-high-income groups.
These schools offer varied curricula, award-winning learner management systems and teaching
methods.7 Unlike unskilled online educators with ineffective methods. 8

The University of Cape Town followed suit with its digital high school set to launch in 2022. Sanlam
will fund 100 academically astute students there. 9

UNICEF prioritises bridging gender gaps and advancing high-achieving students, while MTN’s portal,
attempts to provide free learning resources universally. 10 These developments are indicative of
transformation without full accessibility, requiring funding, electronics, or connectivity. 11

Eighteen-year-old Sebabatso Nchephe, member of Techno Girl – a mentor and shadowing programme for
SA students supported by UNICEF, Uweso Trust, and the SA Department of Education – during an online
class from her home.

6
‘South Africa's disabled children 'excluded from school'’, BBC News, 18 Aug 2015, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33972359
7
‘SA online college scoops international award’, IOL, 28 Sep 2021, https://pretorianews.co.za/education/sa-online-college-scoops-international-award-09bc378e-968b-
40f8-92a3-aedfe7ac3b10
8
Peter A. Okebukola, Bugoma Suwadu, Adekunle Oladejo, Ramadhani Nyandwi, Ibukun Ademola, Henry Okorie, Fred Awaah, ‘Delivering High School Chemistry During
COVID-19 Lockdown: Voices from Africa’, Journal of Chemical Education, 14 Aug 2020, https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00725
9
‘UCT’s new online high school is hiring 300 new staff, and offering scholarships for 100 learners’, Business Tech, 26 Oct 2021,
https://businesstech.co.za/news/internet/532224/ucts-new-online-high-school-is-hiring-300-new-staff-and-offering-scholarships-for-100-learners/
10
‘South Africa: Free online portal for Grades R-12 launched’, 7 th Space, 22 Oct 2021,
http://7thspace.com/headlines/1689561/south_africa__free_online_portal_for_grades_r_12_launched.html
11
David Mhlanga, Tankiso Moloi, ‘COVID-19 and the Digital Transformation of Education: What Are We Learning on 4IR in South Africa?’, Education Sciences, 9 Jul 2020,
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/10/7/180
 Image Courtesy: https://blogs.unicef.org/blog/south-africa-covid-19-schools-reopening-digital-
learning/

Conclusion
Inequities persist in Africa’s educational pursuit. Traditional schools are not equipped to offer effective
online education and the social environment inhibits a hasty leap into successful online education.