This is such an interesting topic within this forum. Having been involved in online platforms and online communities for a while now, here's what we know;

* dissemination of information without leaving any carbon footprint is a major plus

* creating a collaboration space where people, no matter their location, can contribute

At the beginning of the pandemic, many believed that nothing could replace the in-person experience, but we've learned that we can achieve as much remotely while being kinder to our planet.

I'm looking forward to comments from others on this topic.

Digitalizing education is the hope of breaking the gap of education accessibility in SADC region, when education is at digital level, it means everyone, everywhere and anytime can access the education as Jen said here. Let me expand the following keynote as concern;

• It can help to eliminate loss of resources that usually happens during floods, cyclones and other devastating climate change effects.
• It can help to end school dropouts that occurs when there is no school to go, when there is extreme poverty that fails to finance education. Hence it cheap
• It can improve visual clarity of the content more excellent than on the chalkboard such that other pupils or students fails to see, write and copy notes properly due to teachers personal handwriting and kind of information presentation in terms of drawings and other means in general.
• In many SADC countries there is a problem known as quarter systems (Limited Selection) which mentally affects pupils or students such that above all effort to work hard fight for their best level of education and interested National Secondary Schools and Universities are being left from the selection due to limited classroom spaces and schools in the country, and this contributes to school dropout and many students doesn’t see future in school as they are mentally affected due to this unbalanced education system.
• Finally, to achieve sustainable future, all stakeholders national or international should help with the support of digital resources for the administration and pupils or students’ usable gadgets to achieve this future. And this is also part of our dream at Nthambi Foundation School, a place where we are trying to provide education to children from poorest families and bring back those who dropouts school. So, to have this opportunity is the way for us to contribute the achievement of sustainable future in SADC region.

Am looking forward towards this and other perspectives.

As schools are far apart in most of SADC region, and there comes the floods like recently, many schools were broken and education resources got soaked away, and the government to maintain this its not easy and some schools are not yet finally maintained because there is not enough fund. For this reason, many early marriages were born, a lot of school drop outs and not enough teaching and learning resources.

MEANWHILE: Online spaces are the way to zero drop out of schools and boost sustainable education systems. In all corners just as Jen and fellow team said here.

Online Spaces can help to eliminate inaccessibility of education such that most of SADC education seems much expensive and we don’t have many schools as a result we walk long distances to reach the institutions and after getting there we already tired. On top of that we need to pay institution fee, high exam fees due to the cost of stationeries, transport while online spaces we can focus on few costs like internet and exam fees generally and if there can be free exam and resources, or students to educators’ coordination we can return more accessibility to SADC education. Meanwhile online spaces are more sustainable and reliable for data storage without interference of climate change disasters.

I think online platforms can help to end inequalities in terms of education resources and infrastructures such that you may notice that in many SADC region country, one district might have more schools than the other just because either is the presidential site or most fund allocated site, most educated people site and many more reasons.