Sierra Leone - distance learning during COVID-19: qualitative research - final report

How did children in Sierra Leone learn while schools were closed during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic? In low-income countries where internet access is scarce, distance learning is often passive, via TV or radio, with little opportunity for teacher-student interaction. This background paper was commissioned as a complement to the study “Teaching and Testing by Phone in a Pandemic”. The qualitative research gathered some basic details about primary school student engagement in educational activities, such as listening to the radio, talking to their teacher on the phone, or self-study.