2007年-世界发展银行全球_Survey_of_ICT_and_Education_in_Africa___Guinea-Bissau_Country_Report_8页_274kb

ICT in Education in Guinea-Bissau: Summary

Core Content

Guinea-Bissau is a small West African country with a population of approximately 1.586 million and a GDP of $295.1 million in 2006. The country has faced significant challenges, including the destruction of infrastructure and the economy during a civil war from 1998 to 1999. Despite these difficulties, recent political changes and foreign assistance have initiated efforts to rebuild the nation, including its education system.

Education System Overview

• Primary education: 4 years, compulsory for children aged 7 to 13. However, due to socio-economic challenges, many children are engaged in trading, farming, or domestic labor instead of attending school.
• Secondary education: 3 to 6 years in a chosen field.
• Adult literacy: Projected at 58.1% for males and 27.4% for females in 2003.
• Youth literacy: 61% for those aged 15 to 24 in 2002.
• School infrastructure: After the civil war, most schools were damaged, with 10% being one-graders, 26% two-graders, and 50% four-graders. Teachers often lacked proper qualifications and training.
• Curriculum challenges: The curriculum is completed three to four times slower than expected due to the limited number of classrooms and the need for rotational shifts. Teachers frequently go on strike due to unpaid salaries.

ICT Infrastructure and Access

• Telecommunications: In 2003, there were 10,600 main telephone lines, which dropped to fewer than 13,120 in 1997 due to war damage. By 2005, the number of mobile phones increased to 67,000, with an average of 49 per 1,000 people.
• Internet access: Limited to the capital, Bissau, where cyber cafés offer low-speed connections. Internet use is mainly by youth and only about 30,000 users in 2006.
• Coverage issues: There is no nationwide mobile or fixed-line network, and rural areas lack any form of ICT infrastructure.

Electricity Supply

• Electrification: Only 12% of the country is electrified, and power is irregular. Bissau has 18 hours of electricity per day, while other cities have less.
• Power challenges: The national electricity company cannot provide 24-hour power due to financial constraints. The Saltino hydroelectric dam is expected to meet 60% of the country's energy needs by 2015.

ICT Policies

• No national ICT policy: The government has not developed a comprehensive ICT policy, though it has a Telecommunications Basic Law (Decree No. 03-99) from 1999 that outlines goals for promoting telecommunications.
• Telecom sector: The sector was deregulated in 2003, and the national carrier, Guinetel, was established as 90% state-owned. The 20-year contract with Portugal Telecom expires in 2009.

Education Policy

• The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology launched an educational policy in April 2000, aiming to improve the quality of education and address the shortage of trained personnel.
• The policy focuses on basic education and includes funding from the government, World Bank, and SIDA.

Education Projects and Initiatives

• ADB-funded project (2006): Aims to improve primary education by:
  • Constructing 220 new classrooms
  • Rehabilitating 100 damaged schools
  • Building 50 annex buildings
  • Providing basic furniture and equipment
  • Extending vocational training centers
• The project is expected to increase primary school enrollment from 60% to 70% in 2007 and offer 15,000 additional places.

Tertiary Education

• Universities:
  • Universidade Colinas de Boe (UCB): Established in 2003 by the IFC, it offers business and management training and is located in a renovated cashew factory. It has a small number of computers and a specialized library with about 600 titles.
  • Universidade Amilcar Cabral (UAC): A public university with strong government support. It partners with a Portuguese university and has well-equipped facilities, including a few computers and a focus on ICT. It is larger than UCB and has more students.
  • CENFA: A public institution with campuses in three provinces. It has low-trained faculty and its library was looted during the civil war.

Challenges to ICT Integration in Education

• Financial constraints: The government's limited budget restricts large-scale ICT integration.
• Lack of training: There are no high-level IT training institutes, and teachers lack ICT skills.
• Infrastructure deficiencies: Poor electricity supply and limited telecommunications access hinder ICT use.
• Donor dependency: Many institutions rely on foreign assistance, leading to delays in academic activities.
• Focus on infrastructure: National efforts are concentrated on rebuilding infrastructure destroyed during the civil war, limiting resources for ICT development.

Conclusion

ICT in education in Guinea-Bissau is in its early stages, with significant challenges due to the country's post-war recovery, economic difficulties, and lack of a dedicated ICT policy. While some progress has been made in primary and secondary education, tertiary institutions are also struggling with financial and infrastructural limitations. The integration of ICT into the curriculum is hindered by these issues, and the government continues to prioritize infrastructure rehabilitation over ICT development.