Quality digital education - a national priority
UNICEF will be supporting the government to develop and implement the National Strategy for the Digitalization of Education to ensure that a systemic, positive change in the quality of education at the national and local levels leads to improved learning
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Podgorica, 29 June 2021 – The COVID-19 crisis has only highlighted the urgency of rethinking the ways in which education is designed and delivered to meet the demands of a rapidly changing and increasingly digital world. This was one of the conclusions of the Digital Education Coordination Meeting organized yesterday by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media and UNICEF, with the participation of representatives of academia, the private and civil sectors and the international community.
There are 16 students to each computer in Montenegrin primary and high schools today and the IT equipment that is available is often already outdated. In addition, 150 branch schools in rural areas do not have connections to the internet. The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for a quality digital learning platform, as well as for quality digital contents for teaching and learning and teacher training for the effective use of digital tools and pedagogy.
Providing access to the internet, new technologies, quality digital textbooks and online learning platforms to every child and teacher is fundamental to quality digital learning. At the same time, we need to invest in teachers so that they can develop the new skills needed for quality, inclusive teaching in the digital age.
UNICEF will be supporting the government to develop and implement the National Strategy for Digitalization of Education to ensure that a systemic, positive change in the quality of education at the national and local levels leads to improved learning and to a narrowing of the digital divide in Montenegro.
An interactive, quality online platform for teaching, learning and collaboration is also being developed in Montenegro thanks to cooperation between UNICEF, Cambridge University, Microsoft and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. This platform includes all levels of education from preschool up to secondary. It will include segments on teacher training, support for parents, youth engagement and non-formal education.
UNICEF will also continue supporting teacher training so that all teachers can adopt effective teaching methods for online, offline and blended work, and are able to easily apply them to meet the individual needs of different students, especially the most vulnerable ones.
Finally, through future digital education coordination meetings, opportunities will be created not just for regular information sharing, but also for defining and implementing joint activities between the national and local authorities, academia, the civil and private sectors and the international community to support Montenegro’s digitalization of education effectively.
