My school at home: Ivory Coast's TV academy amid COVID-19

“My school at home” is a project set up by the Ivorian government to provide schooling for students after the closure of classes following the coronavirus pandemic.

The programme, which for the time being only benefits pupils in 5th grade, 9th grade and 12th grade, should soon be extended to all classes.

But already, some students are voicing challenges like Kevin Attoubé N’Goran, a 3rd grade student: “Yes, I did understand the class but since it’s on TV, I couldn’t ask questions,” he admitted.

Another such student poses as different challenge: “The teacher showed us how to calculate the capacities of the soil but he was too fast so we couldn’t take all the calculations,” Assiata Koné said.

From ÉducTV children can also watch films even download the films and the lessons. They can also replay them as many times as they want.

Ibrahima Kourouma, a top official at the Ministry of National Education explained the importance of the intervention and plans to boost student – teacher interactions: “From ÉducTV they can also go and watch the films that are on. They can even download the films and even the courses.

“They can replay them as many times as they want if they think they haven’t understood. And very soon we are going to create an interaction between us and the students so that the teachers can answer their questions.”

Private initiatives have followed the government’s lead in delivering lessons via the WhatsApp mobile application.