Uruguay was facing a shortage of trained and qualified English teachers. The Uruguayan government was keen to develop the use of technology in state schools. The result? Ceibal en Inglés, a programme which utilises videoconferencing to reach 80,000 children aged 9-11 in over 550 primary schools across the country. Over 3,000 English lessons a week are taught via videoconferencing from facilities in Argentina, Uruguay, the Philippines and the UK.
Creative approaches to education challenges
Skilful use of the technology gives the remote teacher real presence in the classroom, enabling effective and motivating real-time interaction. The programme reaches schools in underprivileged areas of the country which otherwise would not have access to English.
Evaluations undertaken to date indicate that remote teaching is at least as effective as traditional face-to-face teaching. The British Council Buenos Aires and Montevideo remote teaching hubs are world firsts and we are supporting international opportunities for the UK to innovate, involving a range of UK suppliers and opening up markets. By showcasing the UK’s creative approach to education we are helping shape attitudes to all parts of the UK as destinations for business, tourism and study.
“Plan Ceibal is a leading example of how a programme can bring innovative solutions to teachers to potently influence learning.”- Matilde Bordón, World Bank Representative in Uruguay