When teachers turned into youtubers, edtech

WHEN Covid-19 disrupted learning across East Africa in 2020, millions of children were abruptly cut off from their classrooms. In Tanzania, the crisis highlighted a significant digital divide and exposed deep-seated challenges within the education system.

With physical schools shut down, families, educators and institutions quickly turned to technology in its simplest forms, from television lessons and mobile phone messaging to radio and YouTube. These solutions, though basic, kept learning alive and planted the seeds for a more connected future in education.

Tanzania’s education system supports over 12 million students annually. Still, statistics are worrying, nearly 29 per cent of youths are not in education, employment or training and about 89 per cent of 10-year-olds cannot read basic texts.

The pandemic laid bare the infrastructure gaps. Only 15–20 per cent of Tanzanian households had reliable internet access and a mere 23 per cent had consistent electricity. These numbers worsened in rural areas, where over 60 per cent of Tanzanians live without digital learning infrastructure.

Cultural hesitancy initially slowed digital adoption, as many parents and teachers saw remote learning as impersonal. However, this changed gradually as families embraced video lessons, radio broadcasts, and mobile apps during the long months of school closures.

The Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), a government agency under the Ministry of Education, played a vital role by broadcasting video lessons via television and YouTube. This was complemented by schools and tuition centres using WhatsApp and Telegram to distribute notes and assignments.

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Telecommunications companies stepped in as well, offering zero-rated internet access for students to access specific learning platforms, a move that helped extend education to some of the most digitally isolated areas in Tanzania.

Despite these efforts, several obstacles emerged. Limited electricity and internet access excluded large portions of the population, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Female learners faced higher barriers to accessing digital devices and data. Another key challenge was teacher readiness.

Many educators lacked the digital skills required to conduct effective remote instruction. As a result, some students missed out entirely, especially those whose families could not support homebased learning. In response, local EdTech initiatives across East Africa began to flourish.

In Tanzania, the educational media company Ubongo Learning used TV and YouTube to reach more than 30 million children across Africa, winning the 2021 UNESCO ICT in Education Prize.

Private EdTech companies such as Smartcore and Smartdarasa launched interactive online learning platforms, providing students with digital content, quizzes and tools to engage with lessons even from home without needing constant teacher supervision.

In Kenya, the EdTech company Eneza Education used SMS-based learning to reach over 6 million students, bypassing the internet access barrier altogether. In Rwanda, the Giga Initiative mapped internet coverage in over 3,000 schools, guiding infrastructure investment to expand access.

These regional examples reflect not just innovation but resilience. They underscore the urgency of building sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystems, particularly in East Africa where unequal access still threatens learning outcomes for millions of students.

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Mobile-first platforms are emerging as one of the most promising solutions. With mobile penetration reaching 79 per cent in the region, SMS- and USSD-based learning solutions can deliver quality education to students even in off-grid communities.

The Tanzania Institute of Education, in collaboration with partners, is also training teachers to adopt tech-enabled methods. These training programmes are increasingly offered through online teacher communities, making professional development more accessible and scalable.

Meanwhile, digital textbooks are bridging the content gap. In areas where printed books are either scarce or delayed, mobile-accessible textbooks are giving students real-time access to learning material aligned with the national curriculum. In schools far from the grid, solar-powered tablets are proving transformative.

Inspired by global models, these tools offer entire libraries and interactive lessons preloaded onto devices that can run all day on a single solar charge.

One standout innovation is interactive learning platforms such as Ekima Interactive. These platforms allow students to simulate, visualise and explore concepts in new ways, which significantly boosts comprehension, engagement and long-term academic retention.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Ekima Interactive, Mr George Akilimali, technology isn’t just a backup for times of crisis, but it’s a powerful tool to build a better education system.

“EdTech isn’t just a response to a crisis, it’s the bridge to a more equitable, effective and sustainable education future for East Africa,” said Mr Akilimali.

The Covid-19 pandemic may have tested East Africa’s education systems, but it also accelerated a movement toward digital learning. Tanzania’s televised lessons, WhatsApp classes and YouTube learning are no longer temporary fixes, but they are part of a growing digital strategy.

To unlock the full potential of EdTech, investment must go beyond devices and infrastructure. The focus should shift to affordable internet, localised content, teacher empowerment and tools that reach learners regardless of their background or location.

EdTech’s promise lies in its ability to deliver not just access, but quality. For Tanzania and its East African neighbours, that means building a digital learning ecosystem rooted in inclusion, innovation and longterm resilience. The future of education may well depend on it.