How Radio is Supporting Education Worldwide
To celebrate World Radio Day Ann Beatty, our Chief Executive was interviewed on the Learn Radio, Seeds of Creativity show. You can listen to the whole show here:
At the Steve Sinnott Foundation we work with teachers and educators both internationally and in the UK to support access to education for all children. We work at a grass roots level to make a change to education across the globe and we do this by working in partnership with educators on the ground who scope and manage each project locally, so they are fit for purpose, sustainable and replicable.
Our main aim is working with educators to create independence not dependency. Ann is also the UK coordinator for UNESCO ASPnet schools which is a global learning programme which has been running for over 65 years and has 12,000 members in over 182 countries. In the UK we have just over 100 schools.
Coronavirus has had a huge impact on how we are all working and I think one thing the pandemic has illustrated to everyone is how connected we all are. We don't exist in bubbles we are all connected across the world so I think everybody knows we've seen schools close to over 1.6 billion students globally. Although schools have reopened in many countries many children may never return to school, and for those that do their education has been interrupted.
At the Foundation we've had to look at a new way of working and moving some projects online where possible. The key has been keeping everyone safe, the main thing is that we've had to be flexible and open minded to how projects might work in the future.
Talking about global connectivity, we have found that digital connectivity is missing in many places. Even in the UK there is a level of poverty where people can't afford connectivity. But in some of the countries that we work in they don't often have electricity either. Actually, Wi-Fi is sometimes not available and if it is the cost is really out of their reach.
We've worked in the Gambia and in Sierra Leone providing solar powered radios, and that's worked particularly well because even if you're in a very rural village you can get access to radio. It’s been hugely successful with thousands of children learning safely during the last year.
So, what the government and the teacher unions have done is that in the local radio stations they've recorded lessons, and broadcast them. This is backed that up with paper workbooks so these learning resources are delivered to the villages and the schools so that students continue learning. The teachers have been able to use the radio programmes to develop the learning and do extra lessons with the students.
But in some areas the teachers found that students had neither radios or electricity. So Solar Powered radios were the best solution. The Gambia Teachers Union asked the Steve Sinnott Foundation to step in and help get radios out to these students.
The listeners to the show found it amazing to hear how radios are being used in The Gambia to support thousands of children learning in the last year through government and locally recorded lessons that children can access through solar powered radios.
Ann was asked how can UK schools get more involved with the organisation and support the SDG 4 for education. We have resources on our website listed here:
• Storytelling resource pack
• Home learning resource pack
• Education and Human Rights calendar
• Life Long Learning Webinars
• Fundraising ideas pack
You can purchase a solar radio for about £25 and that includes buying them in country and delivering them. Marie Antoinette Corr, General Secretary of Gambia Teachers Union said hello from The Gambia, and said the solar powered radios are having a great impact on teaching and learning especially in the rural areas it is a great resource.
You can also support the positive periods project we have set up, because girls are missing about 50 days every year from school just because they have their period. So we have set up a project where teachers and educators are teaching girls to make their own reusable eco-friendly Pads.
One teacher listening to the show said that they are trying to introduce a screen free Friday every week now where children will do active art or paper based activities rather than watching live lessons on a screen.
Another teacher asked if schools in the UK can link with other schools across the globe via radio programmes like this one.
Ann explained that so far, we have done some global online learning and sometimes the connectivity doesn't work. We did a Storytelling session with schools from Haiti, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and the UK and it worked extremely well, although sometimes the connectivity is a bit poor so we had to turn our camera’s off.
Learn Radio presenter Russell explained “I'm sure we could. I mean we've done live shows for BBC Radio 4 before so we transmit across the Internet, then Radio 4 picks it up off the Internet and then broadcasts it live on their channel. The fact that we've got a listener in The Gambia right now means that our signals are getting there so what we need to do is to play that into a radio station and then broadcast it locally and then hey presto they can sit back have a break and we then take the Airways over. So absolutely it is possible.”
Ann was asked how does the Foundation decides what projects to focus on in each country and which country takes priority. We work where we are asked to work by teachers and educators on the ground. Steve Sinnott was the general secretary of the National Union of Teachers which is now the National Education Union and his passion was international education and so we work mainly but not exclusively with educators through teacher unions.
Each project is put forward to myself and our trustees and we look at each project on its merit and also decide whether or not it's going to be affordable for us because the more projects we get asked to do the more funding that we need. So, we have to prioritise and the most important thing for us is that we are working in partnership, that it is sustainable, and the people on the ground can manage it locally.
Listeners were fascinated to listen about how we can use radio globally.
Within UNESCO we connect with schools globally so we host schools from other countries so for example we've hosted some schools from Russia, South Korea, Japan, Germany. Quite a wide range of schools and also some of our UNESCO ASP net schools do trips to other countries. Although that's not possible now, we still connect and share learning. So, if you go to the UNESCO website, you'll be able to find a whole section on how you can join up and there's lots of resources on there too.
On the UNESCO site there are lots of resources for World Radio Day, and how you can make your own radio show, think about innovation, and invent a radio for the future! There are lots of resources for schools to get involved with.
In fact, many listeners agreed that just listening to the radio give students some time off from screens and devices and lets them relax. Listening is an important skill, and gets them to use their imagination too.
It also diversifies communities because quite often some of the people who are left out in rural areas, for example, they rely very heavily on radio for information. So, I think teachers could think outside the box a little bit with radio and use it to offer diversity and ideas.
One very important thing is to get students practising listening and speaking skills. They could design their own radio shows, it could be just in the classroom or sharing it as a podcast even. It is a really good medium for developing the power of speaking and listening.
During lockdown radio really is enabling people to stay connected whether it's local radio or national radio, or even you know international radio.
Even in this country we've got lots of listeners that are listing on very old mobile phones because it's actually bandwidth light. It doesn’t need much bandwidth so you don't need those kinds of expensive broadband contracts even if wanted to listen to us all day. That's quite powerful for tech poor households. It’s a brilliant method of reaching folks.
Some of us remember windup radios. Ann had one in Sierra Leone some years back found it didn't work very well because she got fed up of winding it up. The changes in solar power technology has been phenomenal in the last few years so now solar radios are really great.
Radio really can reach all four corners of the globe now with solar power and small bandwidth. So, with quality content this becomes the community, our listeners are our community and it is always such a pleasure and a joy to be able to connect with them and that's what makes radio really really special. Sponsoring a solar radio is a great way to encourage children in the UK to support the sustainable development goals.
Many listeners were grateful for hearing about our projects and we had many donations come in during the radio show and after it. We are really grateful to Learn Radio for the opportunity to tell more people about our work, give them an opportunity to get involved and think of more ways they can use radios in their educational settings. Some schools have already started a school radio show and the children love listening to it and interviewing people.
So thank you once again, and let’s keep using radio for education.
The Steve Sinnott Foundation • February 15, 2021
I have always been a believer in the transformative power of education. Education can never be seen solely as a didactic pursuit. It is in many ways an act of love. Helping children to carve out their own place in the world and to understand the complexities of culture, society, history, and anthropology. Education becomes especially vital in times of conflict and unrest. When societies are divided by violence, political instability, or deep social tensions, education offers one of the most powerful tools for rebuilding communities and creating a more peaceful future. Schools are not only places where children learn academic subjects; they must be environments where values, perspectives, and skills are formed. In periods of crisis, the role of education expands beyond knowledge transmission to include fostering tolerance and equipping them with critical thinking skills that allow them to navigate complex realities. One of the most important functions of education during conflict is the promotion of tolerance and mutual understanding. Conflict often arises from fear, misunderstanding, and deeply rooted prejudices between groups. When children grow up hearing only one narrative about others, divisions can become stronger over time. Education can counteract this by exposing students to different cultures, histories, and viewpoints. Through inclusive curricula and classroom discussions, children can learn that diversity is not a threat but a natural and valuable part of human society. Teaching empathy and respect helps young people see beyond stereotypes and recognise the shared humanity in others. In the long term, these attitudes can reduce the likelihood that future generations will repeat cycles of hostility. We can see in conflict zones now that there is often a parallel battle in schools for control of the narrative. Arguments over textbooks in Palestine, for example, are longstanding with different cultural interpretations of certain themes or even individual words or pictures being used to justify political ends. Conflict can create feelings of fear, confusion, and powerlessness, particularly for young people. Schools can provide a sense of stability and normality when much of life feels unpredictable. In addition to this emotional support, education helps students understand the social, political, and historical forces shaping their circumstances. By learning about how societies function, how conflicts arise, and how they can be resolved, children gain a clearer sense of their role as members of a community and as citizens. This understanding empowers them to imagine a future beyond the conflict they are experiencing and to see themselves as participants in rebuilding their societies. Another key aspect of education in times of unrest is the development of critical thinking skills. In environments marked by propaganda, misinformation, and polarised narratives, the ability to evaluate information carefully becomes essential. This is especially vital in the modern world with the proliferation of social media, citizen journalism, and algorithms which are designed to reinforce and amplify the worldview of the user or to promote violent or extreme material. Children and young people who learn how to question sources, analyse arguments, and consider multiple perspectives are far less likely to be manipulated by extremist ideologies or false information. Critical thinking allows individuals to move beyond simplistic explanations and to recognise the complexity of social and political issues. This skill is crucial not only for personal decision-making but also for the health of democracy. Furthermore, critical thinking encourages dialogue rather than division. When students learn to examine ideas thoughtfully and listen to differing opinions, they become more capable of engaging in constructive discussions. This ability is particularly important in post-conflict societies where reconciliation and cooperation are necessary for long-term peace. Instead of reacting with hostility to disagreement, educated individuals are more likely to seek understanding and compromise. We must build education systems with this in mind. Many curricula and systems have focused on standards and testing to the detriment of true critical thinking. With the rapid onset of AI and the proliferation of algorithm-driven information access, it is more vital than ever that critical thinking, media literacy, social skills, and dialogue are placed at the heart of education and schools. While education alone cannot resolve every conflict, it lays the intellectual and moral foundations that make lasting peace possible. Investing in education during difficult times is not only an investment in individual development but also in the stability and future of entire communities. BY ED HARLOW NEU PRESIDENT (1ST JANUARY 2026 – 31ST DECEMBER 2026) Ed has been a secondary music teacher and head of department at Highgate Wood School in London for nearly 20 years. Elected to the National Executive in 2021, and as Junior Vice-President in 2024, he has helped shape policy, taking a particular interest in restoring the arts and creative subjects in the Curriculum.
The issues that affect girls’ education and future life prospects are seemingly trivial to those who have not come face-to-face with the reality of those who come from poor families. Some families in both rural and urban Ghana cannot afford $2 (two dollars) a day to provide food for the families, not to mention such families also provide disposable sanitary pads for their girls to use during that time of the month. The disposable sanitary pad is categorised as a luxury good, hence it attracts high import duty, making the least priced containing 8 pieces (eight) of pads selling at $2 (two dollars) at the current exchange rate. This situation has made the disposable sanitary pad a commodity unaffordable to most girls from poor and average homes in Ghana. Menstruation and its related issues vis-à-vis sanitary conditions in schools are a pressing concern in my country, Ghana. The situation impacts the attendance of adolescent girls at school so severely that the cumulative effect over a period of ten years (the number of years a girl would spend schooling between Junior High and Tertiary levels) is unimaginable. The stigmatisation that girls experience during that time of the month and the fact that sanitary pads remain a luxury item for the majority of girls who come from poor families pose a significant barrier to the education of girls and their empowerment. Many schools in Ghana lack sanitary facilities, not to mention access to changing rooms for girls and water. As we (NAGRAT with support from Steve Sinnoff foundation) took girls and Teachers through training, we learnt at first hand that some girls used unhygienic materials such as leaves, newspapers/other papers to manage their menstruation leading to health risks, leakages and overall discomfort, it was observed from interactions with school girls that majority of them absent themselves from school at least five days in every month, some even dropped out eventually because they could not just catch up with academic work. Teaching girls and Teachers how to produce something decent, affordable and effective is truly liberating. Girls can go through their cycles with dignity and no discomfort. Girls we have trained so far can go to school throughout when schools are in session, and prepare adequately for the world of work and life in general. A simple solution! Great Results BY REBECCA OCRAN ABAIDOO NATIONAL GENDER COORDINATOR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE TEACHERS – GHANA
On 23rd January at the Cima Community School of Hope (ECEC), the first workshop was held with the first group of students as part of the STEM program. This activity marks a promising start to the program's implementation. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is crucial for children because it fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity from a young age. It nurtures natural curiosity, helps children understand the modern world, and builds resilience through hands-on experimentation. Additionally, early STEM exposure prepares them for future academic and career success. A total of 20 students participated in this first session. The session focused on a general presentation of the importance of computer programming in today's world. The students were also introduced to the Scratch software interface, an educational tool well-suited for teaching children programming. This initial experience went smoothly and generated considerable interest and strong motivation among the students.
