Original Title : Liwal De lere Showanzai or Liwal Distance School via Pashto TV
Media Format : TV & Computer based
Website : http://www.pashtotv.tv
Producer : Liwal De Lere Showanzi (Liwal Distance School) & Pashto TV.
Language : English
Location : Kabul, AFGHANISTAN
Contact : liwal@liwal.com

Liwal Distance School (LDS) is an e-Learning Programme which is broadcast via Pashto TV for 6 hours daily, from Level 1 (Class 1) to 3, is based on Afghanistan curriculum.

Special books and videos are prepared to enable students to learn from TV, Computers and other media players. On TV a single lesson is broadcasted 3 times daily at 09:10, 13:00 and 2300 hours (late for outside Afghanistan, via streaming online soon), with repeat of 3 days. LDS is also available in CDs/DVDs and it will be available online offering classes worldwide. The skills acquired with this initiative help children further to continue in other formal schools and they would be able to manage their daily lives in a better way being literate. The curriculum taught in LDS has basic components that educate them basic math and accounting to be able to use them in daily life.

The Jury appreciated the initiative as perhaps the first distance education project of its kind in Afghanistan which is meant for the students living in war zones. The cost-effectiveness of the initiative was also appreciated for a country like Afghanistan where formal schooling in private schools would cost anywhere between USD 500-1500 per student, while LDS would cost only about 15$/level. The Jury noted that given the circumstances in Afghanisthan, this initiative is going to fill a gap of learning opportunities for the children in that country significantly.

Original Title : BBC Janala
Media Format : Web & TV based
Website : http://www.bbcjanala.com/
Producer : BBC World Service Trust
Language : English
Location : Dhaka, BANGLADESH
Contact : ashraf.uzzaman@bbcwstbd.org

BBC Janala is part of English in Action, a major initiative launched to raise the language skills of 25 million people in Bangladesh by 2017.

The major objective of this initiative is to overcome barriers to learning English by providing mobile phone users with a cheap and convenient way of expanding/practising their English in the privacy of their own homes or when they have spare time on the move. It’s been funded by the UK’s Department for International Development. Mobile phone users of Bangladesh can dial the short code 3000 to access the mobile IVR service. WAP users can access the service by visiting bbcjanala.com/mobile. Web users can access the service by visiting www.bbcjanala.com. The lessons are also available through audio CDROM and printed lessons in the National daily ‘Prothom Alo’ 3 days a week (Sat, Mon, Wed). BBC Janala provides daily three minute audio lessons to the people who want to improve their English language skills in order to get a better job and access to the global economy.

The Jury noted that the project aims to provide high quality English learning tools using mobile, television & internet to millions of people, many of whom live on less than £2 a day. It was observed that the service is also scalable because very basic technologies have been used, which is very easy to scale up to cater for the need of a bigger audience. The Jury also noted that the BBC Janala has received very wide acceptance in Bangladesh and statistics in this regard is impressive. The project has already delivered over 300 three minute English lessons on mobile and over 70 English quizzes available via SMS. It was also noted that the initiative’s website has seen more than 1,000,000 visits to the website. Printed lessons in the National Daily ‘Prothom Alo’ reached more than 1.9 million people. More than 100,000 copies of CD-ROM have been sold. Figures from monthly audience surveys and a nationally-representative cohort panel, also revealed that over 50% of BBC Janala users are from socio economic groups C and D, across urban and rural populations, with many from the lowest Sector (E) also accessing products. Up to 44% of the TV audience are women. Calls to BBC Janala increased signifigantly from 8,700 per day to 58,300 after Bishaash and BBC Janala Mojay Mojay Shekha began transmitting on national network TV. Over 26 million people have accessed EiA products so far. Publication of Essential English lessons in Prothom Also newspaper (the daily Bangla-language newspaper with the largest nationwide circulation) has further extended the reach of learning content. The Jury appreciated that BBC Janala is doing a commendable indirect service to the vocational education sector as learning quality English would open up learning opportunities for other high end professional courses for the people of Bangladesh.

Original Title : Establishment of Computer Labs in Educational Institutions
Media Format : Computer lab based
Website : www.bcc.net.bd
Producer : Bangladesh Computer Council
Language : English & Bengali
Location : Dhaka, BANGLADESH
Contact : rahman.mahfuz@bcc.net.bd

The Government of Bangladesh emphasized on the expansion of Information Technology in Bangladesh.To ensure the spread of ICT in the country Bangladesh

Computer Council implemented projects and programs for establishing computer labs in the educational institutes up to Upazilla level educational institutes in the country. The project provided the schools with Computer, Content and the connectivity. The labs contained maximum of 8 desktop pcs, 1 laptop, 1 printer, 1 multimedia projector and mobile modem to provide connectivity. To support these computer labs, content repository has also been created under the site: www.bdpatshala.com. Intel dual core based computer, DLP multimedia projectors and GSM modem based labs are used as class room for the schools during school hours and as the Community Centres after school hours.

The Jury observed that the project has brought ICT closer to the people, as all over Bangladesh till date 3162 labs have been established. It was noted that it has successfully narrowed the digital divide and as a derived benefit the project is also helping many people to earn a decent living by providing content. This has also led to the spread of participation by local students in the freelancing arena to earn money which support to manage their own education and family, the Jury observed. It was further noted that due to existence of these labs in the schools, some schools have started ICT training programs for the women after school hours to promote freelancing activities and also to enter as work force in industry and public sector. It was appreciated by the Jury that this project has already showing signs of becoming a “change agent” for the communities by making the local community responsible for the development in their community by providing access to information and creating job opportunities.