This archive report was first published on 18 May 2020.
African Teachers Call for Long-Term Education Plan Amid COVID-19 Pandemic ¶
May 18, 2020
2019 Global Teacher Award winner Peter Tabichi has joined other top African tutors in calling for a long-term education plan to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.
Tabichi, a Franciscan Brother and teacher of Mathematics and Physics at Keriko Secondary School in Pwani Village, Nakuru County, won the Sh100 million prize for turning around the fortunes of poor students who went on to win prizes at national and international science and engineering fairs.
He was among 20 African Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize finalists who met virtually on Friday for the first time to address the challenges in a sector that has been ravaged by COVID-19.
"Governments should find solutions to help children continue with education at home, especially for millions of learners across Africa who lack internet access," said Brother Tabichi.
Other leading African teachers who joined Tabichi included South African history teacher Marjorie Brown, Tanzanian Science and Mathematics teacher Malima Chisumo, Sierra Leone's Miriam Mason-Sesay, Ghana's Sitsofe Anku, and Nigeria's Itodo Anthony.
The teachers urged governments to deliver quality remote education and cautioned against any cuts to education budgets.
They also called for a review of the current curricula and testing methods when schools reopen around the world.
According to UNESCO, over 1.5 billion learners globally have been affected by COVID-19, with about 200 million learners in Africa having no access to the internet.
"Lost school days should not turn into a lost generation," said the teachers in a statement.
