RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Education Dr. Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh addressed the issues stemming from the launch of the Madrasati online learning platform in a press conference on Thursday.
The fully interactive platform was developed as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, which shut down schools across the Kingdom. It is designed so that students can log in and attend their lessons digitally, interact with their teachers and track their progress.
However, since the platform’s inauguration a week ago, many users have reported that they were unable to register, log in or access much of the content on the website.
Al-Sheikh said that the ministry was doing everything possible to offer solutions to the problems.
“Like all good things, this will take time, but I can promise you that we are constantly working to ensure that the platform will be the best that it can be,” he said.
Al-Sheikh also highlighted the importance of parents and guardians supporting their children as they navigated the new way of doing things.
“Parents need to be sure their children are actually attending their lessons, instead of just logging in, muting their microphones and turning off their cameras and ignoring their lessons,” he said.
Arab News was offered a tour of the facilities, and an inside look at the educational videos being filmed for the platform.
Madrasati’s videos are being shot in a repurposed school building in Riyadh, with the classrooms converted into soundproof studios.
According to the ministry, 120 hours of content are being shot every day, with all videos uploaded to the platform — as well as to YouTube in light of the registration difficulties. Madrasati’s videos have attracted 750 million views so far, the ministry said.
The ministry said it had considered every aspect when it came to recreating the at-home school experience. After logging in, all school days open with the national anthem, followed by a morning exercise routine identical to those performed in school morning assemblies.
A representative for the ministry said that the platform could be used after the pandemic was over. “Students can use the platform to catch up on missed schoolwork, or to repeat lessons they struggled to understand the first time.”
The minister thanked everyone who had helped to contribute to the creation of Madrasati. “Everyone involved in this project has been working tirelessly to make these achievements happen, even going so far as to sleep on the floor of the mosque at the school,” Al-Sheikh said.
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