MTN Zambia launches TeleSchool with aim to bridge the learning gap in Zambia

• Alt.Text; MTN chief marketing officer Felix Kamenga flanked by Transport and communication ministry assistant director Austin Sichinga and Zambia Teachers Forum's Richard Malunga during the launch of MTN TeleSchool.

24th September, 2018: Increasing Zambian students’ access to fundamental educational elements such as teachers, past papers and tuition can help improve on the 2.9 per cent increase in the grade twelve pass rate recorded in 2017. This is because the fusion of increasingly accessible technology with education in Zambia has the potential to expand the educational horizons of students countrywide.

Speaking in Lusaka when MTN Zambia launched TeleSchool, company Chief Marketing Officer Felix Kamenga notes that technology has a role to play in helping students perform better in their grade twelve examinations.

“Last year’s increase in the pass rate of 2.9 per cent demonstrates the potential for Zambian students to do even better. With access to technology rising across the country, there was always a need to identify opportunities where students can benefit from technology to improve their learning process,” says Kamenga.

Through a partnership with the Ministry of General Education and the Zambia Teachers Forum, MTN has launched TeleSchool, an initiative that will deliver education to a wider group of students across the country and bridge the learning gap. This is in an effort to support the Zambian government’s target of increasing the teacher to student ratio by having 55,000 teachers over the next 10 years.

A live TeleSchool tutortial in session. MTN Zambia's initiative with the Zambia Teachers Forum is reaching out to students countrwide with an aim to help bridge the learning gap

And Assistant Director in the Ministry of Transport and Communication Austin Sichinga says the initiative will address the obstacles in the present system by providing tutorial lessons and training through social media in the main subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Biology and English which will be supported by MTN’s countrywide network coverage.

“With this project which has been initiated by MTN Zambia, we hope to see an increase in the pass rate of students in all parts of the country. We have engaged best performing teachers to aid students in the preparation for their grade twelve exams and believe it will contribute to a rise in the national pass rate,” Sichinga says.

And Kamenga says the project is a demonstration of how social media can be used positively and productively by young Zambians. He adds that through the platform, students can adopt good social media habits that help make a real difference in their lives.

“It really does show how social media can used positively. We fully believe that this initiative will help raise the performance of grade twelve students, giving them lessons with the best performing teachers and use of past examination papers as revision tools through our Facebook Live platform and MTN TV+ app,” he explains.