Distance learning is the new norm - through schools and teachers are struggling to adjust and adapt - not to mention students and parents.
And while children learn from home there are concerns that the quality of their education could be slipping. That's an outcome that businessman Anwar Barrow is seeking to combat at his primary school alma mater with the donation of $18,000.00 in software and equipment.
This morning he told Cherisse Halsall how he's helping All Saints Primary school to combat COVID-time disparities in education.
Anwar Barrow, Owner, Prudential
"The most dangerous thing with COVID is really children falling behind in terms of education because when kids have to learn from home it makes the playing field even more uneven because learning from home requires one the access to the technology it requires the school to have their own access and their own infrastructure and their own training and schools who have better funding can do that better and then also in terms of supervision of the kids at home so people who are also able to work from home can supervise their kids more and people who are better educated can also supervise their kids more and give them more help and so it really increases and magnifies existing disparities and so that's very concerning."
"I went to all Saints and it was a big part of my life growing up and with COVID and I think more in general there is a technological revolution going on in the world and I want to do my part to ensure that Belize and our students aren't left behind, so what I have done, I was actually approached by the principal of all Saints, Mr. Estrada and I have been working with him and members from my company to help skill them up for the transition to online learning. We gave or I gave 15 laptops and we're helping them to build a website also and establish software capability for teaching online."
"I think one thing is just access right, like the teachers and the kids need access and while these are fifteen laptops in the main and that can't satisfy the demand of all the children we're hoping that it moves it along, especially for the educators to have access and to be able to teach online they need a platform and a website and so we're helping them build that out and so I think it will move it forward in those particular ways."
Again Barrow's donation includes 15 laptops and the funding of an online platform for students and teachers.
