ARTICLE - SATELLITE - TEACHER EDUCATION

BASIC EDUCATION OF TEACHERS BY SATELLITE
(Haiti Libre) -

In his electoral program, President Martelly has lengthily evoked the development of the education system with free access to basic education, the modernization and re-equipping of elementary and high schools following the earthquake, and the supervision and inspection of schools and university programs.

Many of the points are approved by Jacques Blamont, a member of the Academy of Sciences, who has put his knowledge as a contribution to developing a training system by satellite for school teachers in Haiti.

The idea consists of offering to elementary school teachers, continuous training by satellite. "We have equipped a Fundamental School of Application - Pedagogical Support Center (EFACAP) in May 2011. We emit modules from Paris and the center of teacher training receives all on-site. We plan to equip five EFACAPs, by October 2011. "The content focuses on science, mathematics, computer science, as well as French, health, civic education and administrative education.

Jacques Blamont explains why the choice of Satellite was made instead of Internet. "Because the Internet is random. It does not work quite well in the big cities and virtually not at all, when you move outside. Eutelsat provides us the bandwidth for free."

This operation was created through the association of the Centre National for Space Studies (CNES), the Academy of Sciences, the World French-speaking Digital University (UFM), the University Institute of Teacher Training (IUFM) and Eutelsat. All parties are volunteers. But there are inherent costs to the project supported by the Interministerial Mission of support for Haiti. "We give ourselves two years to make any necessary improvements to our operations, before passing the torch to the large international fund administered by the United Nations."

Ultimately, Jacques Blamont hopes to equip all EFACAPs of the country (one hundred) and will consider modules intended directly to Haitian schoolchildren ?

Learn more about Jacques Blamont :
Jacques Blamont is Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris-VI, a member of the Academy of Sciences of France, of the United States and India. First director Scientific and Technical of the Centre National for Space Studies, in 1962. He is currently an adviser of the President of CNES. Jacques Blamont is behind the first French satellites and the installation of the space base in Kourou, French Guiana.