The AU has awarded three outstanding education innovations including a project used during the COVID-19, the 55-member pan-African bloc in a statement said on Wednesday.
During the Innovating Education in Africa Pitch Event 2020, the innovations were awarded grants of 60,000, 40,000, and 20,000 dollars according to their ranks, the statement said.
The grants would be used to undertake pilot projects in collaboration with AU member states, it said, indicating that one of the innovations aimed to help teachers and parents during the COVID-19.
The innovations include Building A Generation (BAG), which is a gamified platform that offers real-time access to experience-based learning for university students.
The platform Learnable is a teaching assistant that allows teachers to compose and distribute lessons via a dedicated mobile app and WhatsApp; and Chalkboard Education, a remote teaching and learning toolkit that can help teachers and parents during the COVID-19 crisis.
The high and persistent levels of unemployment together with job vacancies that remain unfilled could be addressed through adopting innovative approaches in education and training, said the AU Commissioner.
The AU Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, Sarah Agbor, called on all the stakeholders to build education, training and innovative ecosystems that have local relevance, global competitiveness, and mutual recognition.
The commissioner added that this would enable Africa to equip the African citizenry with the necessary knowledge and skills.
Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) is a flagship programme of the AU Commission and its partners, intended to identify and promote practical social and technological innovations.
IEA was aimed at enhancing access, quality, relevance, and inclusion in education in order to release the potential for empowerment, employability, and inventiveness.
