Modern learning tools in an ancient setting
UNICEF Supply delivers digital learning to Bhutan monastery school
Along a mountain road, 3,000 metres towards the sky, the Talakha Monastic School in Bhutan is surrounded by peace, calm, monastery bells – and the chatter of children.
These days, some of that chatter might just be in English.
As part of the UNICEF–Akelius Digital Learning Initiative, in partnership with UNICEF Bhutan, the student monks of the Talakha Monastic School are learning basic English from an online application that delivers learning to their remote region of the mountain kingdom.
The results: improved learning, happier teachers and motivated students, said Kencho Tshering, the school principal.
For Chenga Tshering, a 15-year-old monk, the digital application helped him learn enough English in a year that he was recently able to have a simple conversation.
“At the beginning I didn’t even know the alphabet but today, I know how to read and can interact with visitors in English.”
UNICEF Supply team: mission critical
Essential to the success of the initiative are the tools of digital learning – tablets, headphones, charging stations, routers, laptops for teachers, projectors and whiteboards.
That is where the UNICEF Bhutan Supply team was mission critical.
The team delivered the materials to the mountain school, working in close collaboration with Bhutan’s Monastic Education Council and Research, Bhutan Nuns Foundation, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Super FabLab and TashiCell. UNICEF Supply also delivered seat cushions and tables, making the ancient monastic classrooms more comfortable for learning. The equipment helped hook the monastic school up to the internet – opening a window to the world.
In addition, by working with Bhutanese suppliers to design and build a local version of the battery charging stations, UNICEF Supply was able to significantly reduce the cost and time required to deliver equipment essential to keep the students online and learning.
“I left this school in the clouds uplifted by seeing how UNICEF Supply has contributed to modernizing education for some of Bhutan’s most disadvantaged children,” said Emma Creighton, Regional Advisor for UNICEF Supply in the Regional Office for South Asia.
Implementation digital learning
Digital learning at the Bhutan monastery is part of a 12-country initiative led by the Akelius Foundation in partnership with UNICEF Sweden.
The goal was to improve second language and foreign language learning for children from marginalized communities, including children living in poverty.
The digital lessons feature a game-like application that offers drills, vocabulary practice, games, songs, grammar and quizzes in 11 languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. It was created to be used in a blended – digital and in person – learning environment.
Understanding the best way to implement digital learning was a key component of the initiative. To achieve this goal, the Akelius Foundation and UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight conducted intensive research into the implementation of the project. Ultimately, the research showed that:
- Education technology developers need to understand the local context and incorporate feedback, so content is relevant to students.
- Human experts are needed to ease teachers and schools into the management and use of digital learning tools.
- Teachers need training and support to integrate digital solutions into classroom learning.
- Digital learning is new in most classrooms and more information is needed on how best make use of it – especially in low-resource settings.
- Bringing digital learning solutions to many millions of children requires dedication and partners.
Next steps
The Talakha Monastic School also has incorporated digital and numeracy skills to the curriculum, which has historically focused on rote learning of scripture and sacred music. In addition, the initiative has linked teachers at the monastic school with pedological training at local public schools.
Discussions are underway to expand the reach of digital learning – for modernizing learning environments for children in Bhutan. They include integrating the technology into nunneries and mainstream schools, including children and young people with disabilities.
