Revision as of 20:03, 8 June 2020

Ethiopia Education Partnership Jun2020
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BasicInternet:Ethiopia Education Partnership Jun2020

Topics discussed

• Follow-up of BasicInternet:Ethiopia_Education_Partnership_May2020
• Answering specific questions on technology and funding
• Preparing for proposal writing & ways to achieve funding

Background

MoE has the ambition in connecting all 3500 secondary schools within 2020, and all primary schools thereafter. We (EyeNetworks, IBA Ethiopia, BasicInternet created an application to connect 500 schools, and help the government to achieve the goals. See details at BasicInternet:Ethiopia_Education_Partnership_May2020

Follow-up questions


Q1) Which of the following supports can BIS provide our schools and nearby communities?


a) connectivity costs (infrastructure, software/platforms…)


b) digital devices (E.g computers/chrome books, headphones, LCD projectors… for our digital learning hubs and for using digital contents in the classrooms)


c) selection of curriculum and age aligned, culturally appropriate contents in different formats)


d) Developing policies of ethical and proper use of contents and devices)


e) training our staff and teachers i


f) developing tools and systems for monitoring use and measuring the impact of the technology on student learning outcomes, improved teacher capacity and other outcome targets (including those at community level)


g) Making uninterrupted power available (solar) so that children and staff have regular access to contents including during weekends



OPEX costs (Internet connectivity)



https://digitalpublicgoods.net/
 From Me to Everyone: (9:32 AM) 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xcbx2iHGaleRRjQ-Y6nDu3Dr254gQtZNS507Qh1kH2A/edit?usp=sharing
yeboo.com - for “village platform”
 From Josephine Miliza to Everyone: (9:38 AM) 
RACHEL
I can be able to get the contact info
We have our colleagues in Malawi who have been using Kolibri for a while
hand
 From Tigist to Everyone: (9:42 AM) 
Josephine has her hands up
 From yehalemabebe to Everyone: (9:47 AM) 
That would be great Josephine
 From Me to Everyone: (9:50 AM) 
1f) our local network control server (LNCC) is a “whitelist” (what is open), “blacklist” (forbidden, e.g. *porn*, denied
 From Me to Everyone: (9:51 AM) 
1f) long term, focus on “Internet Lite” free access to information
1g) 120 W solar panel - our infrastructure runs on solar
 From Me to Everyone: (9:55 AM) 
2) What does BIS expect from our NGO and our local partners what we closely work with (the education offices, schools, communities, academic institutions) to get the project started and sustain the services?

3) What kind of timeline do you think is realistic to translate ideas into action (get the schools connected?
 From Me to Everyone: (9:58 AM) 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18aln9OlCN-HvjlgaDXWfZeQvKogR_XbTNrNprfNwqBc/edit?usp=sharing
http://ongoing.basicinternet.no
 From Tigist to Everyone: (10:06 AM) 
Thank you Brenda
 From Me to Everyone: (10:14 AM) 
if you have any question, please post it here
 From Brenda Jimris-Rekve to Everyone: (10:15 AM) 
You are welcome Tigist
 From Josephine Miliza to Everyone: (10:15 AM) 
How many schools are being connected?
 From Me to Everyone: (10:17 AM) 
as of now, only Koye Secondary school - it was a pilot - preparing for the 500 school connectivity
 From yehalemabebe to Everyone: (10:17 AM) 
Better to summarize key points and the way forward


MoE, connecting schools

MoE suggest to connect all 3500 secondary schools within 6 months (total envisaged budget 35 million USD). Proposal submitted to the Norwegian Government to support the MoE by connecting 500 secondary schools

• 
https://owncloud.basicinternet.org/index.php/s/OEeoh7zKx4LOOj6
 (slides, presentation of the concept)
• under political discussions in Norway

Suggestion to extend SchoolNet towards a knowledge portal in education

• Payee and Prof. Getnet Tadele have a digital hub for schools, the regional Education Bureau(?)
• they have connected 14 schools (starting with 1 school in 2015, and 4 more schools every year)
• typically 3-5 years support at each school

National Knowledge Portal

The discussion which we are all facing is how we manage to ensure access, leading to skills and empowerment, rather than just focussing on social media and entertainment. Given the work of the Basic Internet Foundation to bring digital health information out to people - see https://digitalhealth.yeboo.com - we see the need to establish a value proposition for governments

• National_Knowledge_Portal
 is easy to sell to governments, given the dimension of data governance & innovation, as well as promoting information on health & education
• Adding free access to the National Knowledge Portal combines access and regulations, and thus is an easy way to get regulations going.
• See argumentation by 4 Universities in Norway, submitted to the Government: Media:Implementing_Digital_Inclusion_on_a_Global_Scale.pdf

Access, Skills, Regulation & Inclusion

The background are the recommendation from the United Nations High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, The Age of Digital Interdependence, Report and Recommendations by the High-Level Panel, Jun2019, and citing the work of the Basic Internet Foundation in ref 59, p12

1A: We recommend that by 2030, every adult should have affordable access to digital networks, as well as digitally-enabled financial and health services, as a means to make a substantial contribution to achieving the SDGs…

1B: We recommend that a broad, multi-stakeholder alliance, involving the UN, create a platform for sharing digital public goods, ….

https://its-wiki.no/wiki/DigI:Publications


Carlos Rey-Moreno: the high level panel on digital cooperation also mentions community networks


The Government of Norway has picked up on these topics, and released the Digital Transformation and Development Policy", Norwegian Government, Message to the Parliament, Meld. St. 11 (2019-2020), Apr2020, https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/meldst11_summary/id2699502/?ch=1

• focus is on access, skills, regulations & inclusion.
• Argumentation on how to succeed: Media:Implementing_Digital_Inclusion_on_a_Global_Scale.pdf

Both ITU and Unicef focus on connectivity

ITU released a report last week saying that CNs need to be enabled


ITU Smart Villages Blueprint comes out. It could be a good link for CNs and education at the ITU level. They just take time putting things together


How community networks can grow

1. Low cost solution for initial connectivity

• 
BasicInternet:Solutions
 for re-using the mobile network and creating an information spot

2. Next step, establishing scalable community networks

3. Adding information and skills (National Knowledge Portal)

4. addressing regulations as free access to the National Knowledge Portal

Envisaged common work is to develop the community platform for (i) information access and (ii) community engagement

• 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xcbx2iHGaleRRjQ-Y6nDu3Dr254gQtZNS507Qh1kH2A/edit?usp=sharing
 (on developing the community platform)