How Africa's first education tablet computer was created
September 18, 2014
The Qelasy tablet is pre-loaded with the entire school curriculum[/caption]
Thierry N’Doufou’s three eldest children tumble out of the car; the little one trips over her school bag as she tries to work out what to do with her break-time snack.
“We continue to go to school here as we went to school 100 years ago,” says the 36-year-old entrepreneur. “The same heavy backpack, the same blackboard with the same chalk.” And that heavy backpack is what Mr N’Doufou is hoping to lighten by introducing a bespoke tablet computer made specifically for schools in Ivory Coast. Taking a tablet Two years ago, he came up with Qelasy, Africa’s first educational tablet. “We thought about how to build a digital backpack; a tablet that will replace books, textbooks, notepads.” The idea is simple; transfer a country’s entire education curriculum onto a digital format, along with sounds, animations and interactivity, and you no longer need a satchel crammed with school books. The 36-year-old teamed up with a designer and then managed to find an investor to build a prototype. This month his Qelasy tablet is going into schools for the first time. “This is a day I’ve been waiting for,” Mr N’Doufou says. The Ivorian government will be introducing the tablets to 5,000 students in public schools, while some private schools in both Ivory Coast and Morocco will be running pilot projects. They have also had interest from Ukraine, Macedonia, Senegal, Nigeria and France. “My dream is to reach all the schools in the world for a better education,” he says. The tablets will also be available in shops at a cost of $232 (£143), before tax. ‘The brightest brains’ [caption id="attachment_12097" align="alignright" width="300"]
The entrepreneur stands at the front of the classroom demonstrating how the teacher would use the tablet.
“This tool is very easy. With one finger you can access almost anything,” he says as he displays how he has complete control over every student’s tablet, with the ability to see exactly what they are doing. [caption id="attachment_12098" align="alignleft" width="300"]
0
Nkemnji Global Tech
Featured

The Law and Citizenship in Sierra Leone
Pan African Visions | January 23, 2021 6:07 am

Kenya:Surge in Attacks on Teachers
Pan African Visions | January 23, 2021 5:46 am

Sierra Leone:TRC Report Recommends New Constitution
Pan African Visions | January 22, 2021 6:24 am

Delay on Court trials still a challenge in Sierra Leone
Pan African Visions | January 22, 2021 6:11 am
Recent News
-
The Law and Citizenship in Sierra Leone
January 23, 2021 6:07 am
-
Kenya:Surge in Attacks on Teachers
January 23, 2021 5:46 am
-
Sierra Leone:TRC Report Recommends New Constitution
January 22, 2021 6:24 am
-
Delay on Court trials still a challenge in Sierra Leone
January 22, 2021 6:11 am
-
Backlash as Malawi seals schools for three weeks
January 22, 2021 5:35 am
Leave a Reply