Digital migration for open schooling in Eswatini

Since 2019, COL has supported the gradual migration of the Emlalatini Development Centre (EDC) from a print-based and contact-supported model to a virtual open school with a digital administration system and learning management system that offers a blended learning model. COL is also supporting EDC with an information and communication technology (ICT) augmentation project to improve teaching and learning via technology. COL visited EDC in November 2022 to guide the implementation.

In 2019, the then deputy principal, Mr Simon Maseko, and COL developed a concept note to begin digitising EDC’s content, tuition and management processes. During the initial Covid-19 lockdown, COL commissioned a desktop study to develop an outline of the ICT backbone needed. COL subsequently offered capacity-building training to EDC staff in digital content development, online facilitation, open school management, monitoring and evaluation.

COL’s recent support for ICT augmentation, which complements the ministry’s own refurbishment of EDC, will see the establishment of a multimedia development centre, the installation of solar power, the extension of Wi-Fi access to the whole campus, signal boosting at the regional centres and the installation of a server to connect all the systems and to link the centre and regions.

With the introduction of a blended learning approach, EDC has started to reverse its trend of declining enrolment from fewer than 300 in 2021 to more than 800 in 2022.