In Ghana, remote teachers bring education to disadvantaged communities

Making Ghanaian Girls Great is a program that's delivering expert education from the country's capital to remote places using virtual teaching in the classroom.

Deprived regions in Africa often don’t have the money or resources to offer students basic education. We’ve already written about initiatives such as Ideas Box, which provide disconnected communities with books, e-readers and tablets. Now Making Ghanaian Girls Great is a program that’s delivering expert education from the country’s capital to remote places using virtual teaching in the classroom.

Currently running as a 2-year pilot and organized by the UK’s GEMS Education Solutions, all the material for each course is broadcast from one central teaching studio located in Accra. With the help of basic tech such as video conferencing and microphones in the classroom, students receive 2 hours of interactive education every day. Schools are equipped with a webcam, computer and satellite that mainly run on solar energy to minimize costs. On location, there’s a local helper that has teaching and computer skills to provide guidance for the kids. After school, there’s a special ‘Wonder Woman’ club where female role models are featured and students get the opportunity to participate in a Q&A. 72 government schools are currently participating in the scheme, helping around 4,000 girls gain access to an education they otherwise couldn’t get.

Through the power of the internet, the Making Ghanaian Girls Great project enables remote villages to access quality education for their children in a way not possible before. Are there other ways that technology can be used to deliver education in resource-scarce locations?