1,000 Students from Metro Cebu Receive Digital Remedial Classes

One thousand primary students in Metro Cebu receive free digital remedial classes in math and reading to make up for the learning losses worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These children are the beneficiaries of the Kiddie Learning Train, a project led by advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), in partnership with Accenture Philippines. The young learners were recommended by the Department of Education (DepEd) and youth groups in Metro Cebu to join the program. Coming from the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Mandaue, and Talisay, the young learners are composed of SY 2020-2021 Kinder to Grade 3 students who need remediation in the said subject areas.

Each beneficiary received provisions including a school kit, Php 1,200 load card allowance for mobile internet, Globe sim card, and one tablet installed with the Kitkit School learning app. Developed by Enuma, Inc. in 2019, Kitkit School won the prestigious Global Learning XPRIZE competition funded by Elon Musk that sought for software solutions to tackle the global literacy crisis.

To make the learning from the app more engaging, math and reading lessons are embedded in interactive games designed for early grade school students. The beneficiaries are required to use the app for at least one hour a day for two months to ensure learning sustainability. The students will be required to undergo the app’s pre-assessment and a post-assessment to evaluate their progress.

About 200 volunteers were mobilized to guide and monitor the beneficiaries on a weekly basis. These volunteers underwent training sessions led by Tiny Labs, an organization that builds and designs educational experiences for students aged 0-12, for proper facilitation of the children. The volunteers were also provided with Globe sim cards and Php 1,200 internet load allowance to virtually meet with their students.

Volunteers from different areas of Metro Cebu participated in the online training session led by Tiny Labs. This is to prepare them in teaching the Kiddie Learning Train beneficiaries. (Photo by Ruth Ann Recto)