This is a series of conversations on the impact of COVID-19 on education in Africa hosted by LEAD president Toks Bakare. Students from various schools across Harvard University including Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Chan School of Public Health carried out these conversations via Zoom.
Three discussions were held on April 17th, 24th and May 5th 2020. Students frustrated by the lack of attention to the impact of COVID on children in Africa and the new deepening inequalities arising as a result, came together to share ideas, brainstorm solutions and plan for actionable outcomes.
Through the webinars students identified a number of concerns and honed in on the problem of low internet connectivity for distance learning. As a result, a robust database of off-line and low bandwidth digital resources was created and is being disseminated among student’s networks.
Discussions have also lead to the compilation of a set of recommendations for governments, school administrators and school leaders on the continent. These evidence-informed recommendations promote continuity of learning for all students during the pandemic with a specific focus on students with low or no internet connectivity.