Education Under Difficult Circumstances

Joseph Sheriff, 11 years old, taking notes while listening to radio lesson in Freetown.

Remember a few months ago when news programs were focused on the spread of ebola? Not often did the programs mention the epidemic's effect on education. As experience in the US with epidemics of such illnesses as the flu has shown, schools get closed when absences from illness skyrocket. Of course, the flu didn't usually result in the high rates of deaths produced by ebola, since the majority of people usually get better. And there is a vaccine for the flu, unlike for ebola, although research is progressing on the development of an ebola vaccine.

Another difference is that some of the countries in Africa that were ravaged by ebola were some of the poorest countries. The length of time that the epidemic has been spreading has kept schools closed for months. That means that children are missing out on key aspects of their education. Sierra Leone has been one of the hardest hit countries and students have been without schooling since July.



In October, Sierra Leone's government launched schooling programs via radio stations, with help from UNICEF and its partner NGO groups. A total of 41 radio stations, plus the country's only television station, are providing the needed instruction. Lessons are an hour long; younger children listen in the morning and older students in the afternoon. Between 50 and 70 percent of Sierra Leone's children are receiving this vital radio instruction.

Why radio? It's more widely available throughout the country, radios are inexpensive (and portable) and even if a home doesn't have electricity, batteries can power the radios. The continuation of educational lessons is critical in a country in which more than 50% of adults are illiterate. The government is planning to use radios as an adjunct to classroom education once ebola is controlled enough for schools to reopen.

In addition, traditionally girls have been denied the benefits of education in Sierra Leone. According to Chernor Bah, who is an advocate for girls' rights, "With adolescent girls, there's an even greater challenge. Girls tend to face the additional burden of providing for their families. So instead of being home listening to the radio, most girls will be outside selling food."

Organizations, such as BRAC, one of the largest education organizations in the world, and THE MALALA FUND, have joined together to bring radios to some 1200 girls. They have also established about 40 informal classrooms, where six or seven girls can gather together for mentorship, lessons, education about ebola, and personal support. It's still a work in progress, but it does have a good start.

Doris Ansumana, age 17, learns English via radio lessons, Freetown.

Thanks to this NPR article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/02/18/387027766/now-this-is-an-example-of-truly-educational-radio, and this Huffington Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/sierra-leone-schools-radio_n_6714364.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news&ir=Good+News.

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