Pupils in rural areas of Zambia face many challenges when trying to get an education

*large class sizes - 100 pupils to a class is not unknown.

*too few qualified teachers - teachers are often untrained volunteers.

*few text books – we often see just 1 book in each subject for the whole class.

*Most kids learn by rote and teachers, faced with big classes and only one text book resort to writing notes on the blackboard for the pupils to copy.

 One solution is iSchool and the new Zedupad.

 

iSchool is a complete learning package covering the whole of the Primary Zambia curriculum using tablets called ZeduPads.  Each one is pre-loaded with the Zambian curriculum for grades 1 to 7 with interactive lessons and teachers’ lesson plans.  The system encourages interactive learning there are thousands of fun colourful lessons in English or one of the 8 local Zambian languages. Have a look on the iSchool website to find out more or have a go at doing one of the lessons.

 

I visited a school where iSchool has been a pilot project over the last three years  and the results are impressive - children are engaged and love learning with the ZeduPad, teachers take far less time off and have a heightened moral.  ISchool is approved by the Zambian Education Board and the teachers and kids all love it.

 

Each ZeduPad, complete with 2 sets of headsets costs just $230 and, as the lessons are carefully planned with the class split into groups this single ZeduPad can be used for 6 kids to learn.   That’s $38 per pupil and in the long run works out comparable to buying text books at a ratio of 1:2 pupils in all 8 subjects.  

 

Of course there’s more to it than just buying the tablets.  Some schools have no electricity and will need solar power. Then there’s charger cabinets, teachers’ training and so on but in spite of all the extras we can provide it all for just $42 per pupil.

 

If you would like to help us revolutionise the ways kids learn here in South Luangwa please donate enough for a ZeduPad for 6 kids or just enough to help one child or whatever you can afford.  We are aiming to offer this to as many schools as we can and need your help.

 

Thank you for supporting Project Luangwa and the teachers and pupils in South Luangwa in the exciting new project.