Agreement signed by Thomas Gunleiksrud of Sanoma Learning and Dr. Jofrey Oleke of NACTVET.
Bergen, 24th November 2022 – The project is funded by NORAD, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, in partnership with Innovation Norway. A national pilot, including eight educational institutions with 60,000 students, is planned to be rolled out in early 2023.
Building competence through partnership
With the objective to strengthen Tanzania's educational sector and digital competence, the national education authorities in Tanzania have entered into a cooperation with Sanoma-owned itslearning and their Finnish educational partner Eduko. The initiative aims to develop a new pedagogical framework for vocational and higher education.
New educational frameworks and pedagogical solutions
Tanzania faces an alarming shortage of skilled workers in almost every sector. To support a sustainable economic growth, it is important to invest in programs to increase the skills of their future workforce. New educational frameworks are to be developed, together with pedagogical tools which are transformative and inclusive for all students. itslearning CEO Steve Tucker says, “We are delighted to be sharing the best of our international experience in implementing pedagogical solutions to enhance learning. It is by combining local knowledge with proven pedagogical tools and methods, that we can make a sustainable impact.”
It is truly inspiring to take part in this initiative together with local educational authorities and Innovation Norway. We strongly believe the best way to help more students reach their potential is through empowering educators."
As part of the project, itslearning will also work closely with its educational partner from Finland, Eduko, who will assist in the development of vocational courses adapted to national curricula in Tanzania. The key steps are extensive on-site training in the use of modern digital tools and best-practice pedagogy. This in turn will enable the selected educational institutions to fully accelerate the quality of teaching and learning.
Vision 2030: A Partnership Approach to Sustainable Solutions
This initiative is funded through Vision 2030, a Norwegian government program, with the purpose of developing and scaling up innovative solutions and technology that can accelerate achievements of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) in education and health. Håkon Haugli, Managing Director of Innovation Norway says, "As a financing partner, we strongly believe that this collaboration can contribute by further developing solutions for local needs, which at the same time can be scaled globally."
The partnership between education authorities in Tanzania and itslearning will strengthen the education of qualified labour. Competence is central to achieving sustainable economic growth and welfare in developing countries."
The Vision 2030 initiative was launched in 2014 by the Norwegian government. The objective is to contribute to poverty reduction in countries receiving development aid from Norway. Since then, several projects have been funded in Tanzania with Norwegian partners.
Addressing educational quality for national development and economic growth
The education authorities in Tanzania have a long-term goal of building up vocational and higher education to deliver competence aligned with international standards. This is crucial for the utilisation of important natural resources and for the education and health sectors to be able to meet the challenges of the future. Dr. A.B. Rutayuga, Executive Secretary for the Tanzania National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET) emphasises, “A highly skilled national workforce is essential for developing sustainable businesses and welfare in Tanzania. The goal for this project is to improve the quality of our educational programs and ensure they meet the market demands.”
Through this partnership with itslearning and Nordic pedagogical expertise, we are confident that we will successfully elevate our vocational and higher education and significantly improve learning outcomes among our students in the coming years."
Pilot with selected schools in early 2023
The project is already in dialogue with eight educational institutions, representing 60,000 students, and aims to start a pilot with these institutions already in the first quarter of 2023. There will be a continuous rollout during the year, within the capacity of the project.
The signing took place at the Norwegian and Swedish Business Summit in Nairobi. Read more about the event here: Norway, Sweden, and Kenya Pioneering Sustainability - together
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About itslearning
itslearning is the leading European provider of learning platforms for schools and universities. Built specifically for teaching, itslearning is used by millions of students and teachers around the world. The company is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, with offices in 8 countries. Since 2019, itslearning has been part of the Sanoma Group. See more information at itslearning.com.
About Sanoma
Sanoma Learning is the leading European learning company, serving over 25 million students in 12 countries. Our Sustainability Strategy is designed to maximise our positive impact on society and to minimise our environmental footprint. We are committed to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 4: Quality education. Our learning products and services enable teachers to develop the talents of every child to reach their full potential. One of our key focus areas in sustainability is developing inclusive learning solutions. We offer printed and digital learning content as well as digital learning and teaching platforms for primary, secondary and vocational education. More information is available at sanoma.com/sustainability.