Kenya has become the first central African country to use state-of-the-art digital satellite radio technology to broadcast programmes to all its schools. The country’s 6.5 million pupils tuned in for the first time this week.

WorldSpace, the American audio and multimedia giant, has dedicated one channel on its AfriStar satellite to educational materials based on the school curriculum. Broadcasts and timetables have been co-ordinated as schools this week open for the second term of the academic year.

The Kenyan government will initially pay WorldSpace a subsidised pound;40,000 a year for the broadcasts. To ensure comprehensive reach the broadcaster has donated 30,000 receivers to the 18,620 primary schools, 3,250 secondary schools and 25 primary teacher-training colleges. WorldSpace intends to train college staff to operate and maintain studio and transmission equipment.

In addition to school lessons, the channel will transmit revision programmes during the holidays. Issues of social concern, such as poverty, farming and HIVAids will also be addressed.

The service will be funded through a combination of government funding, and sponsorship from charities, and corporate and international organisations.

Another source of cash will be advertising revenue from companies selling books, equipment, toys and food, which is causing concern to the Kenyan National Union of Teachers.

WorldSpace, which was launched in 1990, hopes the technology will expand distance education across sub-Saharan Africa.