ITU Secretary-General Dr Touré seated next to Broadband Commissioners Suvi Lindén (left) and Adama Samassékou (right).
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25 February 2013, Paris, France
ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré attended the meeting of the Broadband Commission Working Group on Education final meeting on Sunday 24th February, where the Group, led by UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, presented its outcome report entitled ‘Technology, Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda’.
The report will serve as a major input to the WSIS+10 Review Meeting, which opens in Paris on Monday 25th, as well as to the ongoing MDG process. Highlighting the power of technology, and particularly broadband networks, to transform the educational landscape in both developed and developing countries, the report emphasizes the need for almost 2 million additional teachers, and outlines 6 key policy Recommendations.
"It is clear that broadband really is ‘the missing link’ in terms of global access to education," said Dr Touré. "The ability of broadband to improve and enhance education, as well as students’ experience of education, is undisputed. A good and well-rounded education is the basis on which future livelihoods and families are founded, and education opens up minds, as well as job prospects. Bring broadband into the picture, and students in developing countries can access prestigious university libraries anywhere in the world; unemployed workers can retrain and improve their job prospects in other fields; and teachers can gain inspiration and advice from the resources and experiences of others."
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