Online learning
Online learning
Business Model Description
Develop and operate online and blended learning tools and platforms
Expected Impact
Facilitate access of students to education during remote learning and in remote areas
How is this information gathered?
Investment opportunities with potential to contribute to sustainable development are based on country-level SDG Investor Maps.
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Country & Regions
- Jordan: Countrywide
Sector Classification
Education
Development need
Sustainability Development Report 2019: score of 78 on SDG 4 (Quality Education), with 'Significant challenges remain'; and score 62.5 on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), with 'Challenges remain'; with “Major Challenges Remain” subscores prevalent across indicators (1). The unemployment rate reached 23% in Q2 2020 (2).
Policy priority
The Education Strategic Plan 2018 – 2022 targets an increase in KG1 enrollment rate from 35% to 52% and for KG2 from 59% to 80% by 2022 (6).
Gender inequalities and marginalization issues
The influx of more than 1.3 million Syrians has placed extra demands on the education system and labor market. In 2019, the unemployment rate reached 25.6% among males, and 78% among females holding undergraduate or higher degree (4).
Investment opportunities introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has set a need to adapt and to develop online and blended learning solutions. Strong and significant policy momentum for investment in online learning in schools and universities: national strategies and current government plan emphasize education as a priority sector (5).
Pipeline Opportunity
Online learning
Develop and operate online and blended learning tools and platforms
Business Case
Market Size and Environment
2.37 million learners impacted due to school closures
Rise in school population will continue to generate demand for education. School closure due to COVID-19 has impacted 2.37 million learners, including 230,900 school-age Syrian refugee children (7)
Strong potential to develop solutions and Arabic content for MENA region. Several successful businesses in this space have expanded to other MENA countries (10)
There are about 8.7 million internet users in Jordan. Internet penetration was 85.3% in 2019. The average internet penetration reached 64.5% in the region (11)
Indicative Return
10% - 15%
10-15% returns annually, based on sector statistics (3)
Investment Timeframe
Short Term (0–5 years)
Based on consulted benchmark projects, the projected investment timeframe is expected to be below 5 years
Market Risks & Scale Obstacles
Business - Supply Chain Constraints
Regulation
Impact Case
Sustainable Development Need
In Jordan, universal access to education has not yet been achieved. Over 16% of students in Jordan lack internet access, 16 percentage points below the OECD average, while one-third do not have a computer that can be used for schoolwork, 25 percentage points below the OECD benchmark. (13)
School closure due to COVID-19 has impacted 2.37 million learners, including 230,900 school-age Syrian refugee children (7)
Gender & Marginalisation
The digital gap is found mostly in low-income households: less than 30% of students from the lowest economic status groups have a computer for schoolwork, and only about 50% can access the internet. (13)
The digital gap is more prevalent among the migrant populations and for those living in the camps.
Expected Development Outcome
Improvements in access and quality of education including for students in remote areas and camps
Gender & Marginalisation
Improve girl's access to technology and online learning
Develop teachers capacity -especially of those female and living in remote rural areas- to use digital technologies and e-learning tools for education delivery
Primary SDGs addressed
4.1.1 Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.2.2 Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3.1 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4.1 Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
Secondary SDGs addressed
Directly impacted stakeholders
People
Gender inequality and/or marginalization
Impact Classification
What
Education technology can facilitate access to millions of lower/lower-medium-income students particularly during remote learning (due to COVID-19) and in remote areas
Who
School aged children across Jordan and in the Arab speaking world
Risk
The poor often lack access to the internet and a computer/ tablet/ smartphone
Impact Thesis
Facilitate access of students to education during remote learning and in remote areas
Enabling Environment
Policy Environment
The impact of COVID-19 has focused attention on online learning platforms for schools and universities.
Ministry of Education has been piloting distance learning through lessons via television, a website and smartphone app
Financial Environment
Fiscal incentives: Sales tax and customs duty exemption for all services linked to software development, mobile applications, website portals, outsourcing, digital content and electronic games, IT training and e-learning.
Other incentives: Government lifted all minimum capital requirements for foreign investors eyeing the ICT sector
Marketplace Participants
Government
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship
Private Sector
Mawdoo3, Edraak, Abwaab and JoAcademy
Target Locations
Jordan: Countrywide
References
- (1) Sustainable Development Report 2019.
- (2) Department of Statistics, 2020, Unemployment Rate (http://dosweb.dos.gov.jo/19-0-the-unemployment-rate-during-the-second-quarter-of-2020/)
- (3) Ministry of Education, 2018, Education Strategic Plan 2018 – 2022.
- (4) Human Rights Watch,2017, Jordan: Secondary School Gap for Syrian Refugee Kids.
- (5) Prime Ministry of Jordan. Official Reports. (2020). Available online at: http://www.pm.gov.jo/category/7603/?????.html
- (6) Ministry of Education, Education Strategic Plan 2018-2022. 6a) Sarayreh, Raghad (2020). Using blended learning during COVID-19: The perceptions of school teachers in Jordan. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences. Volume 15. 6b) USAID (2020). Final Report: USAID/Jordan Gender Analysis and Assessment, page 8.
- (11) See Abwaab, an online platform that has expanded successfully to Palestine and Egypt (https://abwaab.me/)
- (12) Jordan's High-Stakes Education Testing Challenges During COVID-19 (https://www.ictworks.org/jordan-high-stakes-educational-testing-covid-19/#.X5bzKHVS-M8)
- (13) Mohammad Audah, et al. (2020). COVID-19 and digital learning preparedness in Jordan. The World Bank Group.