By Christina Mkutumula

Lilongwe, December 19, Mana: Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima has hailed use of radio saying it has proved an effective Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) approach in the country.

The minister was speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday when she officially received Hope Education Radio from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), through Hope Ministry, to the Ministry of Education.

She said the ministry is overwhelmed with gratitude to have the radio station which expands education broadcasting in the country.

“Not long ago, players in the education sector gathered to share ideas at the first ever National ODeL symposium where, among other things, an Education Tech Hub Coalition was launched whose aim is to facilitate creation and sustainability of an enabling ODeL ecosystem,” she said.

Kambauwa Wirima further said the radio station aligns well with the aspirations of the Malawi 2063 whose vision can be achieved through dynamic and ready human capital hence the need for the Ministry of Education to embrace and support the radio station as the right step towards meaningful ODeL.

 “To inclusively build human capital, we need an education system that is equitable and accessible.

“The radio has boosted what we already had in the education broadcasting station which was focusing only on primary education but now it comes in to assist with secondary education content,” she said.

Ministry of Education Director for ODeL, Dr Joshua Valeta said Hope Ministry has come at a right time when the Ministry of Education had just established the Education Broadcasting Station.

He said Hope Education Radio will compliment what was already in ministry’s plans.

Project Manager for Hope Education Radio, Seong Geol Kim said his organization, which has been working with children in Malawi, designed Hope Education Radio in 2019 to give better education environment for more Malawian students and create education content for secondary students.

“I am happy that we have completed 614 radio content in four subjects of English, English Literature, Physics and Chemistry,” he said.

Hope Education Radio has selected eight pilot schools in Dedza to promote radio content and determine effectiveness of radio education.