Intel Pakistan recently organized the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Education Transformation Policy Advocacy Workshop (a focus group of Intel Education and Capital Administration and Development Division, Islamabad) to share and discuss their outline plans for education transformation in the country.
An effective education transformation can help countries increase student competitiveness, build job skills and competencies, support economic development and provide social cohesion. Through research and work with local governments, vendors, and communities, Intel supports countries to drive a systemic education transformation. Intel has invested over $1 billion dollars and close to 3 million employee volunteer hours to improve teaching and learning environments in 70+ countries over the last decade.
Sharing his thoughts, Naveed Siraj, Country Manager, Intel Pakistan said, “We cannot stress enough on the importance of ICT in Education. It is one of the key skills needed to access and enrich learning of all kinds in the modern world. It’s all about communication, and in the world in which our children are growing up, it is vital: whatever they do, they will have to be ICT-literate. ICT connects all areas of the curriculum. The internet can be a powerful resource; if children aren’t connected at home, school provision becomes even more crucial and this is where these workshops come into play.”
Policies designed to ensure that all students obtain the skills necessary to succeed in a knowledge-based economy is of key importance for governments to remain globally competitive. Information Communications Technology empowers effective policy across curriculum and assessment, teacher professional development, research and evaluation, and leads to economic and social development and innovation. Intel engages with development agencies, multilateral organizations, and nonprofits to advocate for education excellence and access. By bringing sustained commitment and advocacy to regions around the world, Intel supports local governments and countries in developing effective policy and achieving 21st century education excellence.
Over the years, Intel Education Initiative has been working for ICT integration in education and education transformation in Pakistan, aligned with Ministries of Education Policies to achieve quality through ICT and Science Education. In this context, a series of workshops and meetings have been held to bring together and provide stakeholders working in education sector. These sessions included discussions on the global ‘trends and drivers’ of education transformation and the trends and drivers of policy in their own regions, identifying common themes that can be used as a rationale for ICT policy development.
The forum was concluded with a brief presentation of the implementation and evaluation phases of the pilot program and sharing of policy development model and its implications for future policy development efforts along with show casing of some initiatives which are already transforming educational trends and practices in Pakistan through technology.
