What does it take for technology in education to actually work for everyone?

<p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">As digital tools make their way into Ethiopian classrooms, the challenge is no longer just access, but alignment: aligning technology with curriculum, teacher capacity, and crucially, with the diverse needs of learners, including students with disabilities.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">The June 2026 edition of EdTech Mondays Ethiopia explores this question through the lens of operationalizing a strategic roadmap for context-relevant EdTech integration. The discussion will look beyond fragmented deployments to consider how digital tools can be embedded into the national curriculum in ways that are practical, inclusive, and sustainable.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">Set to air at 8:10 p.m. EAT on Monday, 29 June 2026, on Fana FM 98.1 and ten affiliated FM stations nationwide, the program will examine how clearer standards and coordinated stakeholder roles can help ensure technology is not treated as an add-on, but as part of everyday teaching and learning.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">Moderated by journalist, producer, and cyber reporter Rediet Meshesha, the panel features Biruk Mamo, Founder of KurazTech and AynuLabs; Tilahun Muniye, History Teacher and Inclusive Education Resource Person at Derartu Tulu Preparatory School; and Gizachew (Eshetu) Yonas, Senior Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance Expert at the FDRE Education and Training Authority.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">At the center of the conversation is how to move from isolated EdTech initiatives toward a system-wide approach. Panelists will discuss how enforceable integration standards can help teachers incorporate digital tools into lesson plans in ways that are both pedagogically meaningful and adaptable to different classroom realities.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">A key focus will be inclusivity. As Ethiopia expands its use of digital learning tools, ensuring that students with disabilities are not left behind remains a pressing concern. The episode will explore how accessible design, localized content, and targeted support for teachers can help create learning environments that accommodate a wider range of needs and abilities.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">The discussion will also examine sustainability, particularly how to ensure that infrastructure investments are matched by ongoing teacher support and technical maintenance. By clarifying the roles of policymakers, educators, and EdTech providers, the conversation aims to outline a more durable ecosystem for digital learning.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">Finally, the episode will reflect on how schools can better assess impact, looking beyond adoption to understand how context-relevant tools influence student engagement and learning outcomes across diverse settings.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">By connecting national priorities with classroom realities, this month’s EdTech Mondays Ethiopia underscores a simple idea: technology in education is only as effective as the systems that support it, and the inclusivity it enables.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">EdTech Mondays Ethiopia is part of a broader Africa-wide initiative led by the Mastercard Foundation to foster dialogue on the role of technology in education. Produced by Shega Media & Technology in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation Ethiopia office, the series brings together policymakers, educators, and innovators to explore how digital solutions can support a more equitable and resilient education system.</p>