Ethio Telecom inaugurated digital learning centers today in 66 selected high schools nationwide equipped with computers and furniture along with fast broadband internet service.
The centers are said will support the overall efforts of producing knowledge-based generation by discharging our corporate social responsibility in educational sector among other several corporate social responsibility projects aimed at supporting all rounded development endeavors of the society.
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“It’s obvious that our company has been expanding infrastructures and deploying latest technologies to ensure telecom services accessibility and it has also done massive tariffs reduction to make sure that the wider community can afford and use telecom services. Likewise, our company has designed and executed various strategic plans to advance the education sector in equipping with the necessary learning facilities and technologies, thereby ensuring the overall excellence in the education sector,” the fully state-owned company said in its press statement.
“Especially, as we are in the digital era, establishing such digital learning centers will have remarkable and profound impacts on education and students by creating technological and innovative learning environment, supporting students to cope with the digital world, enhancing access to information and developing analytical thinking and problem solving skills, thereby imparting their tested knowledge and skills to the community.”
Furthermore, it will play paramount roles for students to easily access education and share information with other schools, conduct researches, make the teaching learning process smooth and more effective, prepare students for the digital world when they graduate and join the wider society as well as to bridge the digital divide, according to Ethio Telecom.
“In line with this, our company has invested over 45.48-million-birr worth digital learning centers in 66 high schools across the country and equipped them with 1,386 desktop computers and furniture (1,386 tables and chairs each) as well as availing fast broadband internet service per digital learning room. As a result, over 140,596 students will be beneficiary.”
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Among 66 government high schools equipped with digital learning facilities,18 of them are located in Addis Ababa; while the remaining 48 high schools are in different regions of the country. The selection of these high schools has been made through the support and engagement of Addis Ababa and regional education bureaus in collaboration withthe company’s regional and zonal offices.
“Considering the multifaceted role of the education sector in the overall growth of the nation, our company has invested over 4.8 billion birr over the years past, particularly in the provisioning of the school net services since the introduction of technology supported online education (plasma TV) by connecting educational institutions with high speed fixed broadband internet and satellite communication options and providing free and up to 86 percent service fee discount,” it said.
“In addition, in the year 2014 E.C alone, the company discharged its corporate social responsibility by donating 50,000 dozens of exercise books for the primary school students enrolled in 665 schools countrywide which worth over 16.5 million birr in support of the low income group of the society. The company also expended 23.4million birr for the school feeding program for 9,000 students learning in 24 schools as well as allocated 22 million birr as a one-year pocket money for 5,500 selected students of 45 universities granting birr 400 per month for each student.”
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“Moreover, the company has donated 54.4 million birr worth 70,000 mobile handsets with SIM cards for women residing in 846 woredas/districts across the nation so as to bridge the digital divide and enable them access information and empower them in digital economy as well as granted mobile phones and laptops for 250 hardworking female teachers which is one of the manifestations of its commitment to the overall excellence of the education sector,” Ethio Telecom said.
