Cardano has confirmed its partnership with the Ethiopian government to use the platform’s blockchain in streamlining the country’s education system management.
According to Cardano’s parent company IOHK, the deal targets about five million secondary school students and 700,000 teachers. The program is powered by the decentralized identity solution dubbed Atala PRISM.
IOHK’s Atala PRISM ID will help authorities set up a tamper-proof record of student’s educational performance and single out areas and causes of educational under-achievement.
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The system will also offer students blockchain-verified digital qualifications that seek to lower fraudulent university entry and job applications. Furthermore, employers will be able to verify all student grades without relying on third parties.
“This initiative is about bringing technology to improve the quality of education. It’s very practical to think of blockchain technology as a way to improve the quality of education,” said Ethiopia’s minister of education, Getahun Mekuria.
The first year of onboarding will entail the addition of all the teachers and the 3,500 schools. In the second year, the project will bring on board all the five million secondary school students.
Plan to include entire education system
IOHK notes that the end goal is to encompass the entire schooling system in the project.
“The goal is teachers and secondary school students, but the probability that this will encompass the entire school system from kindergarten to universities is a very high likelihood, and this will bring even more people into the Cardano ecosystem,” said David Orr, IOHK content creator.
Additionally, in supporting the initiative, the Ethiopian government is issuing all teachers and pupils with tablets alongside a dedicated internet network.
Over the recent months, IOHK has been hinting at a deal with the Ethiopian government but cited bureaucracy for delays.
Initially, there were reports the partnership will potentially power the Ethiopian national citizen identification system. The latest development comes barely a month after Cardano announced it had achieved 100% decentralization for block production.
Besides Ethiopia, IOHK is also working with mobile blockchain firm World Mobile to connect remote villages in Tanzania with internet.
