Access to learning materials for basic and senior high school students in Ghana has been made convenient and affordable with the introduction of a digital learning platform.

Learning Passport, an online mobile and offline tech platform aims at providing high-quality digital education to bridge the poverty learning gap.

The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Education through the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) at the 2nd National Distance Learning Conference in Accra.

Speaking at the event, Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adu-Twum hinted at plans by the government to commence a virtual high school.

He noted that existing in-person high schools would employ resources from the virtual high school platform to enhance teaching and learning.

“Digital learning is a vital leapfrog strategy that could bring about a change in Africa’s fortune, especially in the educational space. African leaders must stop lamenting about their situation, develop a can-do spirit and take advantage of technology to improve their respective countries,” he said.

UNESCO Country Representative

The Learning Passport initiative offers young learners the opportunity to study their syllabus online with the guidance of their teachers, while guardians track their learning progress.

The digital approach to education is streamlined to suit the needs of primary school students and is aimed at familiarising them with technology from a young age.

Executive Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour

Executive Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, explained that the platform would ensure equitable access to education for all Ghanaian students.

“Imagine a country where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has access to high-quality digital education and the endless opportunities it brings. That's our vision with the Learning Passport. Our key focus is to achieve this goal equitably, particularly for the students who are still offline,” he said.

The center also launched the Minecraft Education Edition, a game-based platform that equips students with problem-solving skills, literacy skills and the freedom to explore and solve very challenging problems that confront society and the world.

It allows teachers to create their own lesson plans using the resources available to them in-game.

UNICEF Representative

The platform covers a variety of subjects like language arts, science, history and culture, computer science, art and design, and mathematics.

The conference was organised in partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and World Bank Group.

It was on the theme: “Reimagining Education: A Call on Multi-Stakeholder Coordination and Action for Equitable Access to Digital and Distance Learning in Africa.”