In September, Solar United Madagascar expanded its Digital Learning Programme to 13 public schools, in addition to the two existing pilots, reaching over 2,500 students across four regions.
Public schools in rural Madagascar face persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers. As a result, most teaching roles in Public Primary Schools (EPPs) are filled by untrained, informal educators, often paid by parent associations rather than the government. The quality of education is further affected by the lack of teaching materials in remote areas with most schools having difficulty accessing basic textbooks. This has led to low enrolment as well as high repetition and drop out rates.
To help address these gaps, we launched the Digital Learning Programme in 2024, providing access to:
Following promising results from two pilot schools launched in April 2024 - where enrolment increased by 23% and exam pass rates by 6.6% - we have scaled the teacher model from initially 2 schools to 13 more schools.
The model consists of providing teachers with individual tablets connected to a central intranet hub (Raspberry Pi), offering thousands of offline digital resources for grades 1 through 5.
Content includes:
Additionally, teachers gain access to modules that help them build pedagogical skills and prepare for national certification exams.
The programme builds on infrastructure from our Light Libraries which provide rechargeable power banks and lamps for rental by the school community - ensuring access to lighting for learning, even after dark.
The newly selected schools serve an average of 200 students and 7 teachers each. They are located in hard-to-reach areas with students often walking long distances to attend class. Many of them experience high dropout rates and low academic performance.
As we continue scaling, we are also investing in impact evaluation. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Evaluation Unit, we launched baseline data collection in September, with endline assessments planned for June 2026. The evaluation aims to measure improvement in foundational skills including reading, writing, and numeracy.
In the coming year, we plan to expand the programme to 18 additional schools, reaching thousands more students and supporting a better education system for Malagasy children.
Want to know more about our Light Libraries, Digital Learning programmes, or how to get involved? Please get in touch to discuss how you can help power positive change.
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