Deploying volunteer teachers to help students pursue their education while combating COVID-19 ‘‘One teacher for one family”

 Among the various sublimates in Ethiopia, providing volunteer service is the most common features in all parts of the country. Depending on its purpose, giving the service is differing from one to the other. In the rural parts of the country, volunteers give the service for elders who cannot get family support, particularly in ploughing their farmland, avoiding weeds, constructing or renewing houses, fetching water, and collecting firewood among others. The only payment of the elders is blessing the volunteers.

Likewise, sharing a meal, buying school materials for students who are economically poor, and renewing elders’ houses are also common volunteer services given in the urban parts of the country. Particularly, in times of difficulty, people stand together to strengthen their relationship more than ever and to curtail the problems. It is known that the country has been facing various challenges in different times, but none of the problems stays long. In this regard, the current common pandemic, COVID-19 brings serious impact in all sectors. One of these sectors is academia. Following to the pandemic, the government has passed different decisions, particularly on how to combat the virus with related to maximizing productivities. Therefore, the schools starting from daycare to higher institutions were closed. But, the government has created alternative approaches to support students attend their education from home.

Since the pandemic is serious, providing education through Afri-health television helps students acquire knowledge thereby to fight the pandemic. Similarly, social Media like telegram, Facebook, and YouTube are other alternative approaches could help students attend their education. In this regard, students from grade seven up to twelve have finished their yearly academic engagement. Last Monday, in this summer, the government has mobilized volunteer who can give lessons for students from grade one up to grade six from home. It has dual significance for the students that they understand about voluntarism and able to get adequate knowledge from the teachers.

Public Relation and Communication Director at Addis Ababa Education Bureau Abebe Chernet told The Ethiopian Herald that the Bureau has been taking many activities to provide quality education for the students along with fighting the Current pandemic, COVID-19. Currently, the pandemic has negative impact on education system that banned students from the schools. Following this, an education system was formed with the theme ‘’Education in My home’’. This helps students pursue their education from home.

On the other hand, televised education is recognized as best instrument to transfer message both audio-visual channels. In this regard, students from grade seven up to grade twelve have been benefited from the service. Moreover, starting from last Monday, students from grade one up to grade six has started taking lessons through televised education system.

In addition to the televised education system, volunteer teachers are deployed in every students’ house in consistent with a strategy called ‘’One teacher for One family’’, according to the Director.

Likewise, volunteer teachers are engaged in exercising sport inside the condominium, sharing a meal, planting tree. Both teachers and students are given 18,000,000 seedlings to plant in the actual period.

‘’The main objective of ‘one teacher to one family’ is to help and motivating students through utilizing different mechanisms that helps them succeed in their education,’’ the Director said.

As to him, three systems have been launched to provide the lessons from home. For example, students from grade one up to grade four will pursue in two languages namely, Amharic and Afan Oromo. In the Amharic side, the subjects such as Amharic, English, Mathematics, and Environmental Science are delivered.

In the side of Afan Oromo, English, Mathematics, and Environmental Sciences are also provided. Lastly, students from grade five and six, will take English, Mathematics, cooperative Mathematics, and Geography both in Amharic and Afan Oromo.

To sum up, the Bureau has deployed 65,000 teachers for about 900,000 students who need support and follow up during this summer rainy season, Abebe explained.

The Ethiopian Herald   July 25/2020

 BY MESERET BEHAILU

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