It is estimated that by 2020, every single person in Africa will own a mobile phone. A 2011 country census revealed that households in India were more likely to own a mobile phone than a toilet: 59% have mobile phones compared to 47% who have toilets. Given the data, social enterprises are using mobile technology to address social issues, such as providing access to financial services. Now, a new survey by the GSMA and The MasterCard Foundation identifies the potential of mobile technology to address educational needs for young people in emerging markets.
Background
In late 2011, researchers went into four different emerging markets – Ghana, Morocco, India, and Uganda – and surveyed 1,200 young people ages 15-24 generally coming from large families living in rural areas. In these communities, too many lack access to basic education and employment opportunities.
At the same time, education is important for it can be a matter of life and death. A 2010 report by UNESCO found that a child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5. Education is essential to improving health, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and enabling families to better cope with illness.
Key Findings
When asked about the important things in life, education was named by 39% of respondents as their key priority, behind only family (53%) and health (45%). Education is seen as an essential step to a career which offers greater financial stability and an improved standard of living. This value on education is consistent with previous studies that have indicated basic life and literacy skills mean faster growing economies and poverty rate decline.
However, many young people are unable to access the education they want, primarily because they are unable to afford education and training fees. They are often required to forego studies in order to work and contribute to household income. As a result, only 25% of young people surveyed named the classroom as their primary source of information and education.
Others are frustrated over the lack of resources available to support them in finding the right education and lacked a clear plan on achieving their goals – whether it is working in fashion or becoming the biggest mechanic in Ghana – even though they were highly ambitious. In rural areas, the lack of infrastructure or access was a significant barrier to success.
A young woman from rural India explains: “You get better knowledge in the city schools. Facilities they have elsewhere should be available in our village too. There is not sufficient sources to study here and not good guidance.”
The Role of mLearning
Given the obstacles to education and the fact that youths are regular mobile users, experts present the case for mLearning (or mobile learning). For example, mLearning services can be used to plug the information gap as young people feel they currently have inadequate information. The survey showed that 63% of respondents said they could clearly see the potential to use their mobile phone for learning and accessing educational content.
For those who have been forced to give up formal studies, mLearning can assist them in accessing relevant educational or employment information to help them achieve their ambitions. There is interest among 39% of respondents in mLearning services that helps with career advice, such as CV development and targeted job opportunities.
Future Steps
Still, there remain considerable challenges to address before mLearning reaches its full potential:
1) Cost – Although most youths in the study have access to a mobile phone, those who do not own one cited the number one obstacle to ownership was cost. Since students have no income, affordability will be a major factor in getting students to uptake mobile services. A minority also feel there is “no need” for a mobile phone. On the other hand, many young people feel that mLearning would be valuable to them and said that they would be happy to receive advertisements to their phone in exchange for more affordable services. This may point to a route of sustainability for low-cost mLearning services.
2) Functionality – Most young people currently use basic mobile phones, and 51% were concerned that mLearning would use images or videos which they would not be able to view through their handsets.
3) Infrastructure – Future mLearning services will also need to consider the challenge of providing alternative charging solutions in countries where electricity supply is a major problem. In developing markets, electricity supply can be patchy and prone to cuts. In Uganda, 40% reported that they had no electricity or that it was unreliable.
4) Social barriers – A barrier to owning a cell phone is the disapproval of a spouse or other members of the family. This is faced particularly by women. There is also the problem of theft. It was not uncommon for respondents from Morocco to have been victims of theft, with mobile phones being a prime target. mLearning services would have to take into account security features.
GSMA believes the time is right for mLearning – there is an appetite for it, there are enough young people in emerging markets who now own or have access to a mobile phone to make the delivery of mLearning services viable, and many youths see the potential for learning through their mobile phones. If the challenges can be overcome, few services are as rich with potential as mLearning or have the potential to create such positive change.
For a full report of the survey, visit http://www.gsma.com/developmentfund/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mLearning_Report_230512_V2.pdf.