Addis Ababa, Ethiopia –The Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC) has unveiled another digital platform called Greater South Learning Enrichment Resources Nexus or GreSLERN, an open-source, free-of-charge, and customisable digital tool primarily designed for educators and curriculum planners in the implementation of a balanced and inclusive education among its Member States and Associate Members across the Global South.
As envisioned, GreSLERN will push for the production of an interactive, engaging, and contextualised digital platform to learners far and wide, thus achieving OSC’s vision of building a Balanced and Inclusive Education systems through the digitalisation of available resources including text, video, audio, interactive activities and adaptive technologies.
Its primary objective is to establish a sustainable means of bridging the techno-digital divide between the Global South and the Global North, as well as between countries of the Global South and within countries themselves.
GreSLERN aims to solve the lack of representation in educational content, limited access for people with disabilities, lack of relevance of educational content and unequal learning opportunities.
The unveiling ceremony, held at the OSC headquarters has signaled
the beginning of a sustained, collective partnership between the OSC and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia.
OSC Secretary-General Manssour Bin Mussallamled the official launch of GreSLERN with H.E. BeleteMolla Gretahum, Minister of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia as guest of honor. Other distinguished guests in attendance were Ambassadors of OSC Member States, representatives of OSC Associate Members, educators, researchers, teachers and students.
OSC anchors its belief that education, and reforms in education, per se, are important in the fulfillment of its vision of the future – a new, inclusive and equitable way of development. In fact, GreSLERN is the first of its kind to facilitate the production of learning resources that comply with the Balanced and Inclusive Education (BIE) standards.
And so, what are the roles of OSC Member States and Associate Members?
Member States and Associate Members will play a pivotal role by promoting the use of GreSLERN among educational and other relevant institutions, and by supporting the on-boarding of their affiliate organisations, such as universities across the Global South.
Associate Members will also provide detailed feedback on the platform for further enhancement, andmay even play a technical role enabling advanced features.
Earlier, an equally important digital platform, the Greater South Information System (GreSIS) was set in motion, providing an open and accessible hub of academic and endogenous knowledge from the Global South.
It basically caters to the requirements of educational institutions, researchers, instructors, students and indigenous people’s organisations across the Member States and Associate Members of the OSC.
OSC was established 29 January 2020 by countries and organisations from across the Global South during the International Summit on Balanced and Inclusive Education held in the Republic of Djibouti.
As the first intergovernmental organization of and by the Grater South, the OSC acts as an instrument of intellectual, technical and financial cooperation and solidarity between its Member States as well as Associate Members in the pursuit of a Third Way of Development, for humanity.
