By Rorisang Modiba
- Teachers from preschool to secondary school can join the free EARS programme on WhatsApp to learn to spot hearing loss.
- The EARS AI answers teachers’ questions in real time and provides ongoing guidance after training, using World Health Organization resources.
The University of Pretoria (UP) and the HearX Foundation have launched a free AI-powered hearing health training tool for teachers.
The tool works through WhatsApp and is part of the EARS teacher training programme. Teachers do not need to download any extra apps or use special equipment to access it.
The AI was trained using resources from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other evidence-based materials. It answers teachers’ questions in real time and continues to provide guidance after the training is completed.
The EARS programme covers practical topics, including how to recognise early signs of hearing problems in children, how untreated hearing loss affects learning, how to spot warning signs in classroom interactions and how to support learners who may need hearing assessments.
Teachers from preschool to secondary school can join for free by sending the word “EARS” on WhatsApp to +27 87 813 4013.
The programme grew from a study involving more than 1,000 early childhood development practitioners. The research showed that WhatsApp-based training significantly improved their knowledge about hearing health, with results still evident six months later.
UP said the new system builds on that success by making the programme fully automated and available at any time.
De Wet Swanepoel, professor of audiology at UP, said healthy hearing plays a critical role in learning. He said the partnership with the HearX Foundation helps bring scientific research into real classrooms.
The WHO says about 90 million children and adolescents aged five to 19 live with hearing loss, and many cases remain undiagnosed. UP said untreated hearing problems can affect speech development, literacy, mental health and social participation.
UP also said more than 60% of childhood hearing loss is preventable through cost-effective public health measures, making early detection by teachers an important first step.
Pictured above: A teacher working with a learner in a classroom.
Image source: HearX/Facebook
