UNICEF AND DP FOUNDATION PARTNER TO PROVIDE DIGITAL LEARNING FOR 100 SCHOOLS

1 July 2022, Colombo, Sri Lanka. As Sri Lanka grapples with the impact of COVID-19 and the current economic crisis on education, UNICEF and the Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation (DP Foundation) are partnering to help some of the most vulnerable children access quality education through digital learning platforms in 100 schools in the country.

The project will enable children in the Uva, Central, Northern, and Eastern provinces, to access and use tech-based tools and content to improve their knowledge of primarily Science, Mathematics, English, and 23+ subjects, and continue their learning even during school closures.

“I believe that for Sri Lanka to get to 12,000 GDP per capita education is the key.  At DP Foundation we want to provide free quality education and make it accessible for all the children in the country. I value UNICEF’s collaboration with our foundation, to support education in the country.” Said Dhammika Perera, Co-Founder of Dhammika and Priscilla Foundation.

As part of a two-year collaboration between UNICEF and DP, the schools will receive hardware equipment and connectivity to establish a DP Digital Classroom in each school catering to grades 1 to 13, combined with training and mentoring for teachers to help students succeed.

“UNICEF is working with the private sector to find innovative solutions to improve the knowledge and skills of children, especially those who do not have the chance to learn through modern technology. Our collective strengths can help bridge the digital divide to learning and development for girls and boys” said Christian Skoog, Representative, UNICEF Sri Lanka.

This partnership comes at a crucial time for children in Sri Lanka whose education has been disrupted, first by COVID-19 from 2020, and now with the economic crisis. Shortages of fuel, paper, and rising prices of school meals are causing a further interruption to the smooth learning of children.

This pilot project will be used to inform and scale-up tech-based learning solutions for the most vulnerable children and young people across the country.