- Access Digital Library through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education website
- The library will offer virtual books.
- Students can borrow books online.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has launched a digital learning platform, Odilo Digital Library programme that will enable pupils to access books online, since the Government deferred the re-opening of schools to a later date from the initial 28 July citing the rising number of local transmissions of COVID-19.
The library was launched as a scheme of ensuring continuity in education during the Covid-19 lockdown period, will be accessed via a link on the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education website. It also offers a virtual book club and infinite learning possibilities with access to over 2 million digital titles from over 5 000 publishers, which will allow pupils to borrow virtual books.
Mrs Tumisang Thabela, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said that the introduction of Odilo digital library is part of an alternative strategy to ensure continuity in education. The ministry wants to make sure that children can borrow books online and continue reading and it is also in the process of fortifying schools across the country in terms of equipping them with learning materials as well as assessing their state of preparedness ahead of reopening.
She added that education should continue through other alternative strategies like radio, internet and WhatsApp platforms so that children don’t lose whatever they had gained, and the ministry also has, modules and textbooks that they are delivering in the remote rural schools where radio programme is inaccessible. The school children in rural and remote areas should be given hard copies because they do not have access to the internet which give them access to borrow textbooks online.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has come up with a solution to support the education during this pandemic period, however, the Odilo digital library will benefit children in urban areas while those in rural and remote schools will not gain because of the poor internet connections.
