Scaling digital education for children
With a new cohort of six countries, UNICEF’s Learning Pioneers Programme is doubling its reach and reimagining digital learning for every child
For millions of children in Côte d’Ivoire, Jordan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania and Ukraine, digital ambition is set to become classroom reality.
Six new countries are joining UNICEF’s Learning Pioneers Programme which works to co-design ideal future education systems, scale promising solutions and initiatives, and equip countries to become regional and global influencers in digital learning.
The new cohort will build on the experiences of the inaugural 2024 pioneers – Egypt, Ghana, Malaysia, Rwanda, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe – using experimentation, design thinking and innovation at scale to chart fresh pathways for digital learning.
For Phoukhaoka Sacklokham, Director General of the ICT Center at Lao PDR’s Ministry of Education and Sports, the programme is about driving transformative change. “It is not just about using simple technology in our teaching and learning, but about truly transforming, using digital technology to achieve the goals of our education development, such as quality education, inclusion and, of course, lifelong learning for all,” he said.
Finnish inspiration
With support from UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub, based in Helsinki, Finland, the six countries will identify, test and scale EdTech tools and digital learning initiatives that have measurable positive impacts on how children learn.
Tetiana Dalievska, Deputy Director General, Directorate for Digital Transformation, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, said she looked forward to equipping her country for digital education. “We are moving from reactive to proactive and strategic planning, making strategic decisions and setting strategic goals, because we face many challenges... and we need to make great efforts to support the continuity of education,” she said.
Representatives of Côte d’Ivoire, Jordan, Lao PDR, Pakistan, Tanzania and Ukraine visited the Global Learning Innovation Hub to understand Finland’s progressive education and innovation ecosystems; gain insights from international experts in digital learning, and from each other; and, with guidance from Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, explore new visions for future education.
“Learning about Finland’s education system and the available solutions and technological products that can fit the needs of Tanzanian children at different levels has been very valuable,” said Ayoub Kafyulilo, Education Specialist, UNICEF Tanzania.
His view was echoed by Helen Marjan, Chief of Education, UNICEF Jordan: “We've had the opportunity to envision education from a future perspective, looking at how it can be digitally enhanced and made more accessible for children around the world.”
Collaboration for transformation
The Learning Pioneers Programme begins with a structured mapping of each country’s education system to identify where digital innovation can have the greatest impact, and how to bridge gaps in learning and inclusion.
This feeds into a clear vision for change that is grounded in national priorities with the goals of strengthening foundational learning, empowering teachers and building 21st-century skills to ensure every child is equipped to thrive in a digital world.
In Finland, the country representatives also met with EdTech companies which shared their insights on design thinking, digital pedagogy and the application of frontier technologies, including AI.
Gnamien Jérôme Gbamele of the Ministry of National Education and Literacy, Côte d’Ivoire, said, “Beyond what we already know from our experiences in Ivory Coast, we [can now] see other ways to enrich our contexts, enhance our resources and go even further.”
Global collaboration, expanding partnerships and shared learnings are at the core of the programme, said Frank van Cappelle, Head of the Global Learning Innovation Hub. “By bringing together countries from diverse contexts, we are creating a global community of practice – a network of pioneers learning from each other and shaping a more inclusive digital future aligned with UNICEF’s Digital Education Strategy,” he said.
The Learning Pioneers Programme is a flagship initiative of UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub, which is supported by Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Juha Savolainen, Director General for Development Policy at the ministry, said, “As one of the early enthusiasts, witnessing the journey of UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub, I am proud to see how far it has come. It has become a place where minds converge and solutions emerge – and I firmly believe it will continue to grow into a global community, a platform for changemakers everywhere.”
