Overview of

Digitalization of the Education System of Government Primary Schools in Underprivileged Remote Areas Project

1. Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital divide has become wider and the worst victims are students from underprivileged remote areas. In context, the Posts and Telecommunications Division (PTD), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has initiated a large-scale pilot project titled ‘Digitalization of the Education System of Government Primary Schools in Underprivileged Remote Areas’. The project has been implemented through the Department of Telecommunications in close collaboration with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board and the Department of Primary Education under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and various other partners. The objective of the project is to initiate the digital transformation of primary education through the efficient utilization of Digital Classrooms.

The Project Implementation period is from August 2020 to December 2023. The project has been funded by the Social Obligation Fund (SOF) of the telecommunications sector.

2. Scopes of the Project

Within the scope of the project, three classrooms in each of the 650 target schools throughout the country and one classroom in each of the 28 target Primary Education Centers in hilly districts have been equipped with Broadband connectivity, Large Smart Displays, Laptops, Tablets, Printers, USB storages, Solar panels, Instant Power supplies, Wi-fi Routers, Furniture, and other ancillary items. Providing approved digital textbooks, contents, and teacher training was also included in the project responsibilities. The project provided training on the use of digital equipment and digital textbooks, IT Equipment usage and maintenance, applying digital/multimedia content for teaching, Scratch Programming, etc. to the teachers and Primary Education Officers

Figure: Students are enjoying their lessons in Digital Classrooms

3. Components of the Project

Figure: Goods and Services made available within the scope of the Digitalization of the Education System of Government Primary Schools in Underprivileged Remote Areas Project.

Figure: A training session arranged for the teachers and Primary Education Officers.  More than 50 sessions have been arranged for about 1700 trainees. The trainings have been conducted at 14 Primary Training Institute (PTI) venues throughout the country.

4. Digital Textbooks and Contents

Digital textbooks developed with the guidance of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NTCB) have been provided alongside conventional paper-based books to make teaching and learning more attractive and effective. The digital versions of the textbooks were supplied for Toddlers, Kids-1, Kids-2, Pre-primary, Primary Class-1, Primary Class-2, Primary Class-3, Primary Class-4, and Primary Class-5 level students. The digital textbooks are interactive and the multimedia content such as videos, animations, and simulations, can help students better understand complex concepts and make learning more enjoyable. They are more engaging and exciting than hard-copy books. Through this media, students can learn at their own pace and can interact with the content in a way that suits their learning style. The personalized approach to learning can ultimately lead to better retention of information and improved academic performance.

Figure: Digital Textbooks provided within the scope of the project

5. Impacts

a) Economic Impacts

The primary schools and neighborhood areas of concerned underprivileged remote areas are now under the coverage of high-speed broadband which in turn impacts the economic activity of the locality. There are opportunities to create a local market for IT equipment and create local job creation.

b) Social Impacts

The use of ICT tools by the students will decrease the digital gap not only between members of their own generation but between the different generations as well because the students’ learning will have a strong influence on their own families. Thus the local community will have access to different social campaigns and new economic activities which has a positive impact on the lifestyle of the people.

c) Environmental Impact

The established digital classrooms and Digital Textbooks caused a reduction in the use of hard books and physical teaching materials. The classrooms have become more environmentally friendly and carbon emission-related activities have been reduced a lot.

6. Replicability and Sustainability

The project activities are very much replicable anywhere in Bangladesh based on the funding for the IT equipment and Electric systems. As the project implementation areas were the remote and hard-to-reach areas and target groups were the marginal communities, the project faced the most difficult situations and succeeded to overcome them. Moreover, the project had to arrange solar cell-based power supplies in many sites where commercial electric supply was not available. The digital textbooks, content, and training materials for the teachers are usable for any further implementations. For broadband connectivity, specific maintenance arrangements would not be necessary as those were provided by commercial telecom operators.

For the sustainability of the initiative, the Government may allocate a budget for the funding of Broadband connectivity and IT equipment purchase/maintenance. In addition, the cost of IT equipment including displays may be further reduced if those are manufactured with only the specific features required for pre-primary and primary education.

Media Coverage:

https://www.daily-sun.com/post/534772/650-primary-schools-to-be-brought-under-digital-edn

https://www.prothomalo.com/education/%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A1%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%93%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8B-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87

8. Challenges

Figure: Delivery of Digital Equipment in remote and hard-to-reach areas

The main challenges for the implementation of the projects include-

1. Carry, install, and maintain Electric Power supply and IT equipment in remote areas;
2. Unavailability of trained maintenance personnel in the neighborhood;
3. False perceptions, skepticism, and unfounded fears about technology and its use in the classroom;
4. Physical conditions of School Buildings to protect the IT equipment from environmental hazards;
5. Availability of teachers for training as many of the primary schools have a shortage of teaching staff. The academic activity postpones due to the absence of the teacher for training purposes;
6. Lack of companion Digital teaching materials and content in local languages;

9. Conclusion

The goal and outcome of the project are strongly aligned with the vision of Digital Bangladesh where a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society has been envisioned. The project promotes the creation, access, utilization, and sharing of information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities, and people to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life.