Overview of Project
The Distance Learning in Crisis (DLC) contribution agreement was signed on July 10, 2020, as a short-term response to the COVID-19 pandemic aiming to sustain learning outcomes of girls and boys during the period of school closures and support teachers in planning for the beginning of the next school year. In March 2021, a cost extension was approved.
The DLC project has been an emergency response to a global crisis in education caused by the COVID pandemic. This crisis required multiple “pivots” in strategy for the education sector in Liberia and Sierra Leone, from full school closures to partial school closures to schools open with COVID protocols to eliminating all COVID protocols. The DLC project’s initial phase was designed and implemented by CODE and Farm Radio International (FRI), together with local partners, the WE-CARE Foundation (Liberia) and The Association of Language and Literacy Educators (TALLE, Sierra Leone). Schools were closed due to COVID-19, and DLC provided support in family literacy and engaged students with their families through radio programming and the provision of “Family Reading Anthologies”. While focused on literacy, the programming and anthologies provided families information about protecting themselves during COVID-19, issues affecting girls and women, the environment, and human rights. CODE developed the Anthologies and its partners with the input of education stakeholders, focusing on Gender equality and relevant and locally authored and illustrated stories.
In March 2021, Global Affairs Canada extended the initial timeline by 15 months and allocated extra funds to support additional project activities. With additional funding, the project took programming created in phase one and moved it into the classrooms with portable radios/MP3 players and teacher training. This meant increasing the number of students that participated in the programming. It also provided additional and more intensive training to over 2000 teachers.
In the second phase (extension) of the DLC project, the radio programming developed in the first phase was adapted for use in local schools. Playback equipment was provided, using a radio and MP3 player to store digital exercises and versions of books for the classroom, which could be used in other learning activities. The project sourced an affordable solar and manually rechargeable MP3 player developed by an NGO https://www.lifelineenergy.org in South Africa. The audio program is supported by a reader, an anthology of locally written and illustrated Sierra Leone and Liberian stories distributed to every child in the classroom. These stories and texts have been developed into 72 separate audio files, each with some instruction and expressive Reading of the text by local voices. The 13-week program offered support and enrichment for English language learning, comprehension work, vocabulary development and writing activity. Depending on the curriculum, classes were 30-40 minutes each day or spread out. They allowed students to participate in the sessions and then interact with the stories with their teacher. Materials and programming (radio) included information and direction for hygiene and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With regard to reach and beneficiary numbers, in the first phase of the DLC project, focusing on radio broadcast programming and family learning, 70,000 primary students and their families, approximately 350,000 people, were reached. Families received home-kits and access to interactive broadcast radio programming. At least six teachers from each school also directly benefited by receiving lesson plan guides for 2,100 teachers. In the second phase of DLC, we targeted an additional 200 schools in each country (400 total) and impacted approximately 59,797 students. Also, an additional 2,158 teachers were reached through training on Gender Responsive Pedagogy, active learning and the lesson plan guide paired with the Reading on the Waves Anthology.
2019-2022 –TALLE-RSL Implemented the Distance Learning in Crisis (DLC) Project in Kambia and Bo Districts in 175 schools- phase I. Phase II of the DLC is at its inception stage with 200 schools.
Scope of Project:
- Conducted radio teaching and learning program through recording of lessons to support continued teaching and learning of pupils in classes 1-6 during the COVID- crisis for favourable outcomes.
- Supported schools with reading and learning materials to 35,000 pupils from 200 schools in Bo and Kambia.
- Impacted 1000 constituting teachers (Kambia 500 and B0 500) through teachers training on Gender Responsive Pedagogy, active learning and the lesson plan guide paired with the Reading on the Waves Anthology.
