We must ensure that ICT is used to help unlock the door to education, whether
for young girls in Afghanistan, university students in Uganda, or workers in
Brazil, so that they can fully seize economic opportunities, and live lives of
dignity, free from want.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, April 2005
The first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held
in December 2003 in Geneva, underlined the critical importance of education,
stating in its Declaration of Principles that "literacy and universal primary
education are key factors for building a fully inclusive information society."
Information technology is very cost-effective compared with other forms of
capital. Modest investments in basic education and access achieve remarkable
results. Experiences in many countries using ICTs in education proved to both
help reach those excluded from learning and improve the quality of learning.
The Plan of Action adopted at the first phase of WSIS proposed a number of
actions to make ICTs contribute to achieving universal education worldwide. The
Plan recommended:
Developing domestic policies to ensure that ICTs are fully integrated in
education and training at all levels, including in curriculum development,
teacher training, institutional administration and management, and in support of
the concept of lifelong learning.
Examples from the field
The Chinese online population occupies about 12% of the world online
population and is rapidly increasing. Why? First, because online access is
relatively inexpensive – around 15 USD per month for an ADSL connection.
Second, the government has set up a large number of computer classrooms not
only in universities, but also in junior and senior high schools.
22 of the 46 participating countries in the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study, sponsored by the International Association
for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, have policies/statements in
their national curriculum about the importance of computers, indicating
widespread recognition of the need to capitalize on the use of computers in
education. These countries include Botswana, Egypt, Ghana and the
Palestinian Authority.
Developing and promoting programmes to eradicate illiteracy using ICTs at
national, regional and international levels.
Examples from the field
Adult residents in rural slum areas around India's major cities have
become literate through using used computers. An experiment also showed that
children from a slum area in India, regardless of their lack of proficiency
in English and the absence of any direct instruction, became highly
proficient at using the graphic interface, and surfing the Web.
In the context of national educational policies, and taking into account the
need to eradicate adult illiteracy, ensuring that young people are equipped with
knowledge and skills to use ICTs, including the capacity to analyse and treat
information in creative and innovative ways.
Examples from the field
The Turkish Ministry of Education developed a project to provide fast,
robust and continuous internet access to computer laboratories at 42,500
primary and secondary schools, which serve 90% of students across the
country. This will enable a broad range of people, including those who
cannot afford a PC, to access the Internet, and helps narrow the digital
divide in Turkey.
Developing pilot projects to demonstrate the impact of ICT-based alternative
educational delivery systems, notably for achieving Education for All targets,
including basic literacy targets.
Examples from the field
In the Western Cape province of South Africa, the Khanya Project uses
locally developed educational software for mathematics education. Within a
year of the introduction of ICT-based instruction, pass rates at Grade 12
rose by 42% and the number of distinction grades rose by 145%. "It has
transformed the classroom," the project coordinator told. "The kids are so
enthusiastic and the teachers feel so much more empowered and fulfilled."
Training of teachers on the technical aspects of ICTs, on development of
content, and on the potential possibilities and challenges of ICTs.
Examples from the field
A programme called Actualización de Maestros en Educación (AME)
(Training Teachers in Education, in English) provides teachers with
computer-training resources to be effective in the classroom. AME’s Internet
portal hosts a plethora of courses designed by universities in Latin America
and Spain, covering topics such as teaching reading, writing and
mathematics, and the manipulation of new technologies.
Developing distance learning, training and other forms of education and
training as part of capacity building programmes. Give special attention to
developing countries and especially Least Developed Countries in different
levels of human resources development.
Examples from the field
ICT allows for rapidly-developed and dissemintated distance learning
strategies. For instance, the Teleteaching System for Universities Project (Telesun)
connects the engineering programmes in Cameroon and Tunisia to universities
in France and Belgium. The FORST programme (Occupational Health Distance
Education Training Programme in French Africa) links universities in five
Francophone African countries to McGill University (Canada) and Université
de Lille (France). The Francophonie-funded RESAFAD programme provides
teacher training from French universities in eight French-speaking
countries.
All the examples above demonstrate that ICT can provide practical,
cost-effective solutions for improving education. The advent of highly
responsive networks of information and knowledge and the rapid development of
smart software, in combination with other channels of communication, present a
real opportunity to creatively solve deficiencies within educational systems
around the world.
