This article looks at the digital divide in education in Tanzania exacerbated by COVID-19 and suggests ways of minimizing educational inequalities. The aim is to achieve inclusivity in digital learning in the rural-urban and rich-poor dimensions.
On an early morning Wednesday, I was running Key Informant Interviews with the Region's Administrative Secretary and Regional Education Officers in Mtumba City, Dodoma region. The respondents unanimously stated that authorities need to do more about ICT in the education sector. In a developing country like Tanzania, one of the overarching aspirations is to eradicate poverty and inequalities through education.
The recent increase in enrolment during the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed the available resources, especially in public schools. These were hard hit because their ICT access is low compared to private schools. Moreover, high-end private schools provide their learning facilities with state-of-the-art computer labs.
In recent years, the Ministry of Education, in partnership with the private sector , implemented online learning following the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media platforms like WhatsApp enable sharing homework, assignments, and pre-recorded videos. In this digital transformation era, the government should digitalize the education sector by investing more in EdTech to scale up digital learning applications, especially in public primary schools. It will enable teachers and students to familiarize themselves with digital learning.