EdFin Microfinance Bank, Nigeria’s first specialized bank focused solely on education financing and Gray Matters Capital (GMC) has shared insights into its ‘Remote Schooling Readiness’ survey which showed that over 67% of schools serving low-income households are considering digital channels for education, despite challenges.
It also revealed that WhatsApp was the preferred platform of choice for teachers to engage with students, parents, and collaborate among themselves. These insights are based on responses from low-cost private schools in Lagos in April 2020.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Data estimates that in Nigeria almost 40 million learners have been impacted across all education levels.
To ensure continuity of education, education providers have identified technology as they key enabler for remote learning.
However, the major challenge that remains to be surmounted for providers is how to serve the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, with low disposable income and poor access to digital services.
Despite these challenges, the survey has revealed a clear demand and aspiration, from low-cost schools, to use digital channels for education especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings: EdFin MfB – Gray Matters Capital Remote Schooling Readiness Survey
Readiness for Remote Learning
1.) 67.8% of schools are considering continuing operations via remote learning. Of the schools willing to take the online route, over 80% seek technological assistance for setting up remote learning operations.
2.) 9% of the schools surveyed have initiated full-scale remote learning. 36% have initiated partial remote learning (for selected classes and subjects) while 43% are exploring remote learning tools to implement.
3.) Of those schools that have initiated remote learning, the highest number of virtual classes are being conducted for primary schools; 38%.
4.) Interestingly, nearly 44 % of the schools have indicated parents of students not yet open to remote learning for their children. This can be adduced to reasons such as low disposable income to access digital infrastructure and services (such as mobile phones, tablets, personal computers, and internet services), and lack of tangibility associated with remote learning, among others.
Access to Digital Devices
1.) Of the low-cost private schools surveyed, 21% responded that their students do not have access to any digital device for online learning. Only 13% of the schools had all their students equipped with any internet-enabled device for online learning, while 63% of schools responded that only a few of their students had access to devices and good connectivity.
2.) 19% of the respondents had all their teachers equipped with digital devices to conduct remote learning, while 66.2% responded that only some of their teachers had digital devices.
Core Competencies of Teachers for Online Classes
1.) Less than 21% of the private schools surveyed had teachers with all the skills needed for conducting remote classes, while 62.8% had some of the basic skills.
WhatsApp rules the roost
WhatsApp is the preferred platform of choice for teachers to engage with students (63%), parents (71%) and for collaboration with other teachers (74%) trouncing Zoom, Google Classroom, and others.
Financial Wherewithal
1.) 23.6% of schools planning to charge fees for home schooling.
2.) 66.4% of schools willing to avail loans to equip teachers and students with digital devices for remote learning.
Bunmi Lawson, MD, and CEO, EdFin Microfinance Bank while speaking on the survey insights said, “Our survey is aimed at helping us get a deeper understanding of the constraints faced by low-cost schools in making their online transition.
“This is a time for smartphone, laptop, and tablet makers, besides telecom service providers and education finance players like us to calibrate our offerings to tap into the opportunity presented by the low-cost school segment of Nigeria.”
