COVID-19: Ghanaians Demand More Educational TV Channels

Joy Learning, the free-to-air TV channel dedicated solely to Ghanaian educational content, has proved to be a critical source of learning for senior high school (SHS) pupils across the West African sub-region while schools have been closed to combat the spread of coronavirus.

According to Abdulai Awudu, General Manager of Joy Learning, the channel can be accessed by TV viewers throughout the sub-region as part of the free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) MultiTV platform on SES's Astra-2F by using a standard decoder or TV with built-in DTH tuner.

“While this channel was originally created to give Ghanaian SHS students access to educational content while they were away from school—as a result of the double-track system—it has recently proved useful to all English-speaking West African countries who follow the West Africa Examination Council (WASSCE) curriculum.”

Joy Learning, which was officially launched on December 30, 2019, was part of a corporate social responsibility initiative undertaken by the Multimedia Group (MGL) through its Educare Foundation, in partnership with e-learning platform Wolo TV; service provider K-Net; and SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions.

SES provides the satellite capacity and broadcast services; K-Net provides local backhaul and teleport services; Wolo creates and supplies the educational content; and MGL runs the channel.

“By coming together to offer a free educational channel to SHS students, the partners in this venture have been able to address not only some of the challenges posed by the implementation of the Free SHS education policy in Ghana, but also some of the educational challenges brought about by the indefinite closure of schools across the country amid the Covid-19 crisis,” Theodore Asampong, General Manager of Media Platforms at SES Video, stated.

“The Ghana SHS double track system means that while some kids are in school, others are at home waiting their turn for two months or so,” Joe Anim from Wolo TV said.

“The idea behind the Joy Learning channel was to allow those at home to keep up with their studies by broadcasting well-organised and world-class educational content that they could access for free on a daily basis.”

“While the intention was to have a direct positive impact on the lives of millions of young people, thereby contributing to the future development of the country, we are thrilled that our satellite TV platform has enabled access to quality education for young people across the broader sub-region, who are currently unable to attend school as a result of the Covid-19 crisis,” Mr. Asampong added.

Joy Learning channel's wide reach is driven by SES's prime orbital position at 28.2 degrees east, which reaches 97% of all satellite TV homes in Ghana. From that orbital slot, SES hosts Multi TV, a FTA (free-to-air) platform that provides viewers free access to over 100 TV channels of high quality content, including the Joy Learning channel while giving broadcasters access to the highest reach in West Africa.

---Daily Guide