Sri Lanka’s Education Ministry adopt new technology for teaching with Microsoft
Sri Lanka’s Education Ministry and Microsoft have reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) recently to advance remote pedagogy during a time when the health and safety of educators and students is paramount.
According to reports, the agreement will enable educators to embrace Microsoft Office 365 tools and build their IT competence, while efficiently engaging students in virtual classrooms.
Under the MOU, Microsoft will support the Ministry by providing students, teachers, pirivenas, teacher training schools, and ministry officials with free access to Microsoft Office 365 tools, such as OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams, across PCs, tablets and smartphones to complement a ‘distance learning’ initiative for students and teachers, local media reports stated.
The MOU was signed following a recommendation of the Presidential Task Force on Education to look into the continuation of the education sector during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accordingly, the agreement was signed by Secretary to the Ministry of Education N. H. M. Chithrananda and Microsoft Sri Lanka and Maldives Country Manager Hasitha Abeywardena on behalf of their respective organisations. Microsoft General Manager for Southeast Asia New Markets in Asia Pacific Sook Hoon Cheah had also joined the signing via Microsoft Teams.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s education sector has posed several business/investment opportunities in the for of supplying technology as well as infrastructure required to carry out online and distanced learning during the closure of schools and higher education institutions. The government of Sri Lanka has already taken steps to introduce new techniques to carry out education activities during the closure of schools.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20200609/Z_1 |