With UNESCO reports suggesting that more than 5.1 million jobs will be lost as a result of labour market changes over the period 2015 to 2020, education and lifelong learning is critical to equip a country’s population with the necessary skills to succeed and ensure sustainable socio-economic development. To strategically leverage the opportunities of smart learning solutions for accelerating impact on education (SDG 4), the creation of comprehensive national strategy and policy is advantageous.
The ICT Applications programme has partnered with UNESCO to help members and partners effectively implement ICT in education policy and bring smart learning solutions and their benefits for people to national scale. Given the multitude of solutions, technical considerations and ecosystem fragmentation, a clear vision, policy intervention and collaborative action is central. The ICT Applications programme supports Member States with national policy reviews and guidance on the development and implementation of national strategy that addresses needs of the country.
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UNESCO and ITU have partnered to create comprehensive reviews of ICT in education policy at the national level to identify how Smart Learning can be better leveraged to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The objective is to create an in-depth analysis of the national context, containing both an evaluation against international benchmarks and a set of policy recommendations based on evidence supported good practices – in order to support Member States and partners implement consistent and efficient Smart Learning initiatives. Reviews are covering all policy elements related to Smart Learning and ICT in education, ranging from infrastructure, equipment, and connectivity or funding models up to effects on learning and, more widely, on digital skills formation, citizenship, and equity.
Both organizations have cumulated a broad experience in conducting policy reviews in their respective domains and the coordinated efforts have produced comprehensive analyses with future-ready recommendations. UNESCO, in particular, completed in 2016 a regional review of mobile learning policies in Latin America, comparing how countries are addressing similar challenges. This will help Member States understand how to harness Smart Learning to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all in order to accelerate impact on SDG 4.
