CAIRO: In a leap towards bringing unconventional learning tools into classrooms, Intel Corporation signed yesterday a Memorandum of Understanding with Edu Systems International (ESI) to enhance utilization of localized e-content and multimedia technology in education. Committed to corporate social responsibility, Intel Egypt - in cooperation with ESI - will customize and localize its "skoool Interactive Learning and Teaching Technology program, a multimedia tool that will stimulate wider use of e-content in schools across Egypt. "Our skoool technology content will make a breakthrough in Egyptian educational systems, raising the quality of education as well as enhancing competitiveness of students, said Khaled Elamrawi, Intel general manager for Egypt, Levant, and North Africa. As part of its involvement in the Egyptian Education Initiative, Intel Egypt will partner with the Ministry of Education and local IT companies in Arabizing and localizing its skoool content to match school curricula and integrate tailor-made local content. Browsing through the e-portal, Egyptian students will have a database that enables them to understand and explore mathematics and sciences topics via multimedia tools at their fingertips. Intel Egypt and ESI (two funding arms of the project) are currently deploying means of localizing the portal and creating an Egyptian version of the skoool web tool to be named "skoool.eg . "The portal will be ready for use by next March-April, targeting preparatory students [grade 7-9] nationwide and will focus on mathematics and sciences courses, as a first step, Elamrawi explained. "The second phase of the project will expand its reach to address different educational stages and will also go beyond these two topics. Created by Intel Corporation, Skoool content is currently offered in various countries worldwide including United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. Ensuring successful utilization of the portal, Intel Egypt has already embarked on educating and training teachers across Egypt on means of using the technology. So far, around 80,000 teachers have been trained.
