AI Tutoring Tool Expands to African Schools
Students in four nations will gain access to adaptive lessons designed to supplement instruction via WhatsApp.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Language Learning
Live Poll
Would you support using AI tools to assist your child with elementary school math lessons?
Rising Academies is expanding Rori, an AI-powered tutoring tool that delivers math and other lessons via WhatsApp, to government schools in four African nations. The platform is designed to adapt to student responses and function in areas with low connectivity.
Why it matters
The expansion follows study results suggesting that supplemental AI tutoring can significantly boost student performance where teacher shortages exist. It offers a new model for delivering curriculum in resource-constrained environments.
A 2023 study of 500 students found users outscored a control group by one year of learning after using Rori, which requires two 30-minute sessions per week. The platform, which adapts to student input, is expanding in October 2026.
The players
Rising Academies
An education organization headquartered in Sierra Leone that develops and deploys AI-based learning tools for government schools.
Rori
An AI-powered tutoring platform that delivers adaptive math and core lessons to students via mobile messaging.
The details
The Rori software operates directly through the WhatsApp messaging platform, making it accessible even in locations with low internet connectivity. By analyzing student responses in real time, the tool automatically adjusts the complexity of math and core subject lessons to match the individual learner's progress.
Timeline
An eight-month study was conducted in 2023.
A study regarding Microsoft Copilot took place in Nigeria in 2025.
The expansion to schools in four African nations is occurring in October 2026.
Education Landscape
The expansion of Rori marks a growing shift toward using mobile-based AI to address teacher shortages in global education systems. This development builds on a wave of recent research, such as the 2025 Microsoft Copilot study in Nigeria, evaluating AI efficacy in regional classrooms.
Students and families in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, and Ghana may see Rori integrated into their government school curriculum starting in October 2026. If you have questions about how these supplemental lessons integrate with your classroom work, speak with your school administrator.
The takeaway
AI tools delivered via standard messaging apps can provide significant academic support even in low-bandwidth settings. Keep an eye on local school board announcements to see if new digital curricula are being adopted in your district.
Further reading
Learn more about new tools and methods for global instruction in our Language Learning section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Semafor.
Live Poll
Would you support using AI tools to assist your child with elementary school math lessons?
