April 5, 2021

EDC to Support Radio Education in Madagascar

UNICEF-funded work is an effort to overcome disruptions in education due to the pandemic.

EDC has been selected by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to support the Madagascar Ministry of National Education (MEN) in producing radio programs for primary, middle, high school, and technical classes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted Madagascar’s education system, prompting school closures that suspended the education of 7 million learners. Working with EDC, the MEN will consider alternative approaches to education delivery to ensure continuity of learning and enhance resilience to possible future shocks.

During this 15-month technical assistance project, EDC will:

  • Collaborate with the MEN to build capacity for the authorship, production, and evaluation of high-quality radio programs
  • Develop a sustainable, formative evaluation plan to ensure a system of quality controls is used for radio programs
  • Support the transition from emergency distance learning systems to more sustainable models that combine distance learning with classroom instruction
  • Support the MEN to strengthen and expand the radio learning resources developed and used during the COVID-19 pandemic

Carrie Lewis, senior project director at EDC, says that the realities of the past year have prompted the MEN to look for ways to bolster its ability to use technology to expand access to education.

“We look forward to collaborating with the Ministry of National Education on this work, which is essential for teachers and learners in Madagascar,” says Lewis. “This project marries EDC’s years of experience in radio and capacity building with the current needs emerging from the COVID-19 crisis.”