Summary

Background

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are important tools for delivering education around the world. However, despite the proliferation of initiatives that promote ICT4E, there was little guidance for policy-makers and donors on what is already being done and how well it works.

The lack of information affects planning, coordination and implementation. To address this problem, infoDev commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers India to survey the experience of South Asia in ICT4E. The result is a comprehensive and up-to-date report available for download below.

The report is divided into five components:

• An extended summary of the findings;
• Individual country-level reports for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka;
• Four state-level profiles from India - including Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and West Bengal;
• Two profiles of distance education and teacher training in Pakistan;
• Five thematic essays on gender equality, policy coherence, non-formal learning, capacity building, and primary and secondary schooling;
• A discussion of the methodology and database of consulted experts and documents.

Summary of Findings

This survey is the third in a series of regional surveys that began with Africa, continued with the Caribbean, and now includes the South Asia region. In addition to country reports, case studies and thematic essays, an Extended Summary report has been included. The Extended Summary briefly surveys each country's ICT4E policy and impelentation, and discusses cross-cutting themes and key insights.

In nearly all countries, four main themes emerge:

• The importance of ICTs for training teachers. Much of this takes the form of basic computer literacy instead of how to integrate computers into teaching methods, but the emphasis on building capacity is important.
• Secondly, providing and sustaining ICT infrastructure in schools, especially through public-private partnerships, is essential.
• Thirdly, while ICT is an important part of formal educational institutions, it can be just as powerful in non-formal education settings, creating the opportunity for life-long learning.
• Finally, several countries have very strong Open and Distance Learning initiatives that seek to provide mass education and overcome geographic or financial barriers.

Among the key findings is the importance of fostering an ICT 'ecosystem' with numerous constituent parts working in collaboration to provide opportunities for innovative educational approaches. ICTs can be seen as a platform to overcome the worst parts of education and learning while creating new opportunities and innovative ways to teach and learn. Meeting this demand can take many forms - from distance learning on a radio or TV, to newer devices like the widespread mobile phone. Through it all though, the importance of local context and systematic capacity building is key. Careful monitoring and evaluation, and coordination, are critical to success.

Country Reports

Afghanistan

Decades of instability and centuries of neglect have severely limited the educational opportunities available in Afghanistan, especially to women. However, international attention and local demand is bringing a strong focus to the role of ICTs in providing education.

Bangladesh

Although the Prime Minister made a promise to become 'Digital Bangladesh' in 2009, this survey finds that high costs of Internet and a lack of coherent ICT in education policy limit the current initiatives and aspirations.

Bhutan

Since diversifying educational opportunities away from purely Buddhist monasteries, Bhutan has made impressive strides by achieving universal primary education. Furthermore, this study finds that because of a lack of legacy systems, Bhutan's ability to use modern ICTs in education is substantial.

India

India's immense diversity in wealth and geography is reflected in its varied experience with ICTs and education. The importance of using ICT for improving education has been emphasized in the policy framework for over a decade in India. Numerous initiatives have been started by both public and private entities; the report summarizes and examines them at length.

Bonus: In May 2010 infoDev hosted a live, Oxford-style debate in India on the question of "Is Most Investments in Technology for Schools Waster?" You can read the debate on EduTechDebate, infoDev's ICT4E community of practice.

Maldives

Given the geographic isolation of many of the Maldives' inhabitants, ICTs are a compelling tool for extending educational opportunities around the world. This report surveys the experience and considers the prospects for future developments.

Nepal

In recent years, Nepal has made considerable progress extending educational opportunities to its population. However, difficult geography means ICT infrastructure is still limited and costs are high. To realize the potential of ICTs in education, a more high-level commitment is needed.

Pakistan

Pakistan's commitment to ICT for education is summarized in its 2005 National ICT Strategy for Education. The national strategy recognized the importance of technology as both a subject and an instructional aid. However, implementation is a challenge in  a country where only 54 percent of adults are considered literate.

Sri Lanka

Educational achievement is one of the successes of Sri Lankan society, though it often takes non-traditional forms such as the informal schooling popular in much of the country. Although teledensity is relatively low, high-level strategies exist toimprove the role of ICTs in education.

State-level profiles from India

Delhi

As India's national capital, Delhi enjoys the advantage of strong infrastructure in technology and talent. There is a range of initiatives using  ICTs in education, from the most sophisticated high end technology solutions in elite private schools to more basic government-implemented schemes for integrating ICTs.

 Information and communication technologies are used throughout South Asia for educational purposes.

Karnataka

Karnataka has emerged since the 1980s as India's leader in IT and biotechnology, and was the first state to announce an IT Policy in 1997. 

Rajasthan

India's largest state, Rajasthan, faces a number of key challenges to its education system, but initiatives using ICTs are providing innovative solutions.

West Bengal

Although West Bengal has made significant progress in promoting access to ICTs, this study investigates the challenges West Bengal faces in capacity building, coordination and infrastructure.

Profiles of ICT4E in Pakistan

Distance Education in Pakistan

Pakistan has a long history of distance education, an activity poised to evolve into one of the most responsive forms of education given new advances in ICTs and methods of learning. This experience and the constraints Pakistan faces are explored in this essay.

Teacher Education in Pakistan

Teacher quality is a major source of concern in Pakistan's education sector. This situation is analyzed in detail, including the role of private sector efforts.

Thematic Essays

Capacity Building

This essay highlights the fact that without adequate capacity building (from training of teachers to content development), even well-designed policies and the most sophisticated technologies will not be able to achieve the desired results.

Gender Equity

This essay discusses the potential of ICTs for ensuring gender equity as well as the policy level decisions required to mainstream gender in the initiatives and schemes formulated by the government.

ICT in Primary and Secondary Education

This essay on the use of ICTs in school education studies dominant trends and features a variety of experiences from high-end technology solutions to low-end TV/radio-based initiatives.

ICT in Non-Formal Education

ICTs can be used to make information and learning opportunities available outside the formal schooling system. This essay examines current practices as a way to make real ambitions to live in a "knowledge society."

Policy Coherence

This essay on policy coherence examines the different elements that must be addressed in any policy framework that seeks to effectively integrate ICTs in education.

Research Methodology

The survey used a combination of primary and secondary research sources. In August 2009, at the outset of the project, a workshop was conducted to introduce the project to a wider set of stakeholders and build a platform for sustained dialogue on the proposed survey. At this stage, a website for the project was created under which all possible information, including the bibliography, was uploaded. Next, relevant policies and publications from governments, NGOs, and corporations were collected and analyzed.

In addition, the research team conducted telephone interviews and video conferences with over 75 key stakeholders in India and other focus countries. In the case of India, the team also visited several sites where ICT in education initiatives were being implemented. Further, on completion of the survey each country study was circulated amongst key stakeholders in the country to validate the information captured in the study.

For additional information, including a link to download the report's methodology, please click here.

For more infoDev ICT4E information:

• Visit and subscribe to EduTechDebate, infoDev's ICT4E community of practice;
• Read previous highlights about this work; and
• Visit our Education topic page.