Information and Communication Technologies
:: Policy ::
The consecutive EI World Congresses passed resolutions which have since formed the bases of EI's policy towards the use of ICT in education. They are: "The Information Revolution and Education" (1998), "Education and New Technology" (2001).
Information and communication technologies (ICT) presents both opportunities and threats to education and development, hence all teachers and educational personnel must receive adequate training in ICT. A key issue in the use of ICT in education is the equity of access, which in turn implicates the risk of digital divide.
EI believes that all schools should have access to the internet, with appropriate protections for students. This is an immense challenge for countries that have not yet achieved primary education for all, where the supply of electricity is inadequate and access to computers is restricted to the elite.
With regard to the use and production of learning software, means must be found for them to be available at prices affordable to low-income countries. The design, production and dissemination of education software must guarantee cultural dignity and conserve ethnic identities, values and history.
Apart from that, the use of the internet to propogate racist, xenophobic and sexist propaganda should be combatted.
Research should be supported by governments and education unions on two important issues: the educational, social and economic impacts of technological developments, and ICT's effects on young children’s learning environments and any potential hazards to their health and safety.
New technologies open up new possibilities for students to undertake research and to discover how to develop their knowledge. Teachers should help students to use the positive aspects of ICT, while being aware of the negative aspects.
EI is also concerned that ICT might be used as a pretext to treat education as a commodity: the intergovernmental cultural agreements and principles of UNESCO must prevail over the commercial rules of the WTO, as huge financial stakes are inherent in the commercialization f knowledge. Attention must also be given to intellectual property rights as well as cultural diversity.
The quality of education cannot be compromised through the use of ICT in education. EI insists that education is more than act of transmitting facts, and requires the presence of properly qualified teachers.
For more information, please contact EI.