The push for digital learning has received a boost after Longhorn Publishers and Safaricom unveiled plan to supply 1.5 million tablets to students across the country.
In the deal learners will access Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) aligned content covering pre-school to Form 4 learners.
Under the agreement, Safaricom will assemble the tablets, provide data connectivity, and offer insurance in case of loss.
A tablet and the digital learning package will cost Sh13,000, which is payable in monthly instalments for a year.
The LoHo Learning tablets will have internet connectivity that is blocked to educational content ensuring child protection and safeguarding is enforced.
“This platform offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored for learners, teachers, and partners, providing access to diverse educational content from multiple publishers and content developers” said James Ong'ang'a, the CEO of LoHo Learning, a subsidiary of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed Longhorn.
As part of the partnership, Safaricom which has been looking to diversify its revenue streams will assemble the tablets, and provide data connectivity and insurance cover in case of loss.
“This (the insurance cover) is very important for schools that invest in buying many tablets,” said the Safaricom Director for Public Sector Digital Transformation, Boniface Mungania.
It also includes extra material like videos, audio, educational games, quizzes, and assignments which help to enrich the content.
Teachers will also have access to a rich repository of educational resources from multiple publishers, enabling diverse and engaging teaching experiences.
The Digital Learning Platform is priced at Sh13,000, which can be paid through monthly installments to make them easier to acquire.
“If you use the Safaricom-provided data it is locked to digital learning which is useful to parents who want to control the content their children use. However, on Wi-Fi someone can use it as a normal tablet,” said Mr Ong'ang'a.
Content creators who develop educational content will sign revenue-sharing to monetize their content, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem for educational content development and distribution.
