By now, we are all aware of governments around the world having ordered the closing of schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As of today, more than 1.5 billion students are out of schools and universities in 192 countries due to the current crisis.
What once seemed a futuristic notion – distance learning and increased integration of technology into the teaching and learning process – has been forced upon education systems overnight. Millions of teachers and educators around the world turned to remote learning, but not all schools, teachers, or students were prepared or equipped the same way.
Having a computer, internet connection, and access to an e-learning platform or printed material can be the difference between learning and not learning. And the longer schools are closed, the more girls and boys in vulnerable communities will lag behind in learning outcomes.
This is why, for the past few weeks, the Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education) – building on its experience supporting education in humanitarian crises – has worked with its business members to create a platform to support educators during these difficult circumstances.
Thirty-three companies including Atlassian, Britannica, Canva, HP, and Salesforce have come forward and are now offering more than 75 free digital services and resources to facilitate distance learning.
Moreover, these companies are going beyond providing access to digital learning content and sharing other tangible expertise, such as training for teachers, lesson plans, translation of content or interface into learners’ mother tongue, and supplementary print materials for low-tech/no-tech contexts.