Why an ICT in School Education Policy?

There is a growing awareness building amongst policymakers globally and in India on the emerging role of ICTs in enhancing the process and outcome of School Education.

It is a well accepted fact that the effective usage of ICTs in the classroom is correlated to positive academic outcomes, including higher test scores, better attitudes towards schools, and better understanding of abstract concepts. A longitudinal study of a state-wide experiment with classroom computers found that those most in need of help – low-income, low achieving students, and students with disabilities – made the most gains.

In addition to better performance in traditional measures of academic achievement, a secondary benefit of ICTs in education is a new generations’ familiarisation with the technologies that have become integral components of the modern world. However, despite the positive impacts emerging from the integration of ICTs – improvements in teaching, learning and administration, there is a growing awareness among Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), schools and practitioners of the inherent risk factors involved: costly deployments; poor planning; lack of coordination, and lack of correspondence to educational objectives.

While many States have developed their own policy on ICT in School education, at the national level there is a need for putting in place a coherent and enabling policy for use by all stakeholders. It has thus been felt to develop a set of policy objectives, guidelines, practices and knowledge tools to enhance the role of ICT in School Education, particularly, by following a consultative and a participatory process with States, academia, NGOs, civil society organizations, practitioners and other stakeholders.

In this regard, Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative, (GeSCI) has offered its expertise and assistance to the Department of School Education & Literacy (D/SE&L), Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India in the formulation of the National policy on ICT in School Education.

GeSCI has developed five broad thematic areas or work streams to respond to the needs, these include policy development process, strategic implementation planning, ICTs in teaching and learning, infrastructure and connectivity, followed by monitoring and evaluation. In addition to these resources, GeSCI harnesses the expertise of both ICT and education specialists, and  multi-stakeholder partners, to bring momentum to how we work with MHRD; thus serving as the catalyst for progress. 

Established in 2004 by the United Nations ICT Task Force, GeSCI is a global non-profit, non-commercial organization with a mandate to provide assistance to governments in the strategic implementation of ICTs in Education.

Mission
Adopting a demand-driven, collaborative and comprehensive approach, GeSCI in India aims to work in partnership with those pioneering the use of interactive technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning and thereby transforming education and empowering communities.

Approach
The approach is an efficient demand-driven ‘end-to-end’ system, based on strong partnership and close co-ordination, is the key to achieving real impact.

GeSCI’s services and activities are defined in direct response to the needs of:

• Designing and implementing policies and plans
• Building capacities within Ministries of Education;
• Utilizing ICTs cost-effectively to achieve educational objectives.

Objectives

The project is focused on assisting the Department of School Education, MHRD, to assume its leadership role in the ICT in School Education arena by :

• Developing an appropriate framework to support the effective deployment and integration of ICTs in the Education system.
• Providing a platform for dialogue amongst all relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment of plans, programmes and projects.
• Evolving a strategy for leveraging economies of scale in procurement of standard content, equipment and services, and leveraging resources from other partners.
• Evolving a mechanism to ensure that knowledge, expertise and skills are shared across all states and territories.
• Building in house capacities within the MoE to conduct regular updates for ensuring a dynamic and live policy.

Andhra Pradesh ICT Policy 2005-2010   Human Resources Development

• In the area of ICT, Government will address the development of skills that are in synchronisation with emerging employment opportunities. The Government will set up a ‘Future Skills Unit’ under the A.P. State Council of Higher Education and IEG. This unit will be required to track technology trends and identify future requirements in terms of skills and training.
• Training Incentive, Technical education Strategy Paper on School education (2001)
• Harnessing new technologies, IT Education in School curriculum , Secondary Education and vocational

·         　Educational ICT tools can be divided into 3 categories: Input source, Output source and Others.
　See the following graph：

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·         Worldwide research has shown that ICT can lead to improved student learning and better teaching methods. A report made by the National Institute of Multimedia Education in Japan, proved that an  increase in student exposure to educational ICT through curriculum integration has a significant and positive impact on student achievement, especially in terms of "Knowledge・Comprehension" · "Practical skill"  and "Presentation skill" in subject areas such as mathematics, science, and social study.

·         However, you can see that there are many education technology solutions provided in the world which may cause confusion among educators about how to choose the right ICT solution. Let's have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of ICT tools for education and discover what kind of education ICT solution is suitable for your school needs.

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3 Main advantages of ICT tools for education

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	1‧ Through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students. 2‧ Through ICT, teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure students' comprehension. 3‧ Through ICT, teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.

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3 Main disadvantages of ICT tools for education

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	1‧ Setting up the devices can be very troublesome. 2‧ Too expensive to afford 3‧ Hard for teachers to use with a lack of experience using ICT tools