2007年-世界发展银行全球_Survey_of_ICT_and_Education_in_Africa___The_Gambia_Country_Report_8页_277kb

ICT in Education in The Gambia

Core Content

This document provides an overview of the use and development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the education sector of The Gambia, as of April 2007. It highlights the current state of ICT initiatives, challenges, and policy frameworks, emphasizing the role of NGOs and donor support in advancing educational technology.

Country Profile

• Location: Republic of The Gambia, situated on the west coast of Africa, on both banks of the River Gambia.
• Population: Approximately 1.5 million.
• Economic Structure (2005):
  • Agriculture: 33.0% of GDP
  • Industry: 13.0% of GDP
  • Services: 53.9% of GDP
• Human Development Index (HDI): 155 out of 177 countries.
• Human Poverty Index: 86 out of 102 countries.
• Per Capita Gross National Income (US dollars):
  • $320 (2000)
  • $270 (2004)
  • $290 (2005)

The Education System

• Basic Education:
  • Lower basic: Grades 1 to 6
  • Upper basic: Grades 7 to 9
• Senior Secondary Education: Grades 10 to 12, culminating in the West African Secondary School-leaving Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
• Higher Education:
  • University of The Gambia (established in 1999), comprising four faculties.
  • Gambia College, which includes four schools: Agricultural Science, Education, Nursing and Midwifery, and Public Health.

ICT Policies

National Policy

• Vision 2020: Aims to transform The Gambia into a middle-income country by 2020 through ICT development.
• National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) Policy: Designed to facilitate ICT use in various sectors, including education.
• Key Focus Areas:
  • Infrastructure
  • Regulatory issues
  • Local governance
  • Education
  • Health
  • Trade and commerce
  • E-governance
  • Agriculture
  • Gender
  • Media

Education Policy

• A draft ICT policy for state education has been in development since 2002, expected to be finalized by March 2007.
• Core Elements:
  • Network all educational institutions.
  • Implement a mandatory computer literacy programme.
  • Integrate ICT into the University of The Gambia's curriculum.
  • Establish a high-end ICT training institution, preferably through Gambian entrepreneurs with government support.

ICT Infrastructure

National ICT Infrastructure

• Fixed-line operators: 1 (Gamtel)
• Total fixed-line subscribers (2005): 44,000
• Cellular mobile operators: 2 (Gamcel and AFRICELL)
• Total cellular mobile subscribers (2005): 221,319
• Internet service providers: 4
• Internet users per 100 inhabitants (2004): 4
• International voice and data gateways licenses: 1 each

Education Sector ICT Infrastructure

• Tertiary Level:
  • University of The Gambia has a computer lab with high-speed Internet access (funded by the Government of Taiwan and Gambia).
  • Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) has two networked labs connected to the Internet.
• Secondary Level:
  • 16 out of 31 state secondary schools have been equipped with state-of-the-art ICT labs (supported by the World Bank).
  • Internet access remains limited, with most schools relying on private sector or NGO support.
• Primary Level:
  • No coordinated government initiative for ICTs.
  • Some schools have been equipped with computer labs through individual and NGO efforts.

Current ICT Initiatives and Projects

• Computer Literacy Programme: Training teachers and principals in keyboarding, word processing, and basic troubleshooting.
  • Funding: Government of The Gambia
  • Contact: newgambia.gm
• Wider Net Project: Setting up a small intranet at the University of The Gambia.
  • Funding: University of The Gambia
  • Contact: widernet.org
• iEARN Gambia: Collaborative project work involving about 20 schools.
  • Funding: Department of State for Education
  • Contact: iearn.org
• Education Management Information System (EMIS): Management of education resources and use of computers in science teaching.
  • Funding: Government of The Gambia
  • Contact: newgambia.gm
• Gambia-UNESCO ICT Fellowship Center: Focuses on ICTs in the service of persons with disabilities.
  • Funding: National Federation of The Gambia, UNESCO, and Department of State for Communication, Information and Technology
  • Contact: stockholmchallenge.se
• Peace Corps Computer Project: Donating computer equipment to Gambian schools.
  • Funding: Peace Corps
  • Contact: iicd.org
• Gambia HELP Computer Project: Building computer labs and training students and staff.
  • Funding: Gambia Help, Rotary International, and Garfield High School
  • Contact: gambiahelp.org
• Computer Training in Sierra Leone and The Gambia: Train-the-trainer programs for office applications and Web design.
  • Funding: Develop Africa, Inc. and individual donations
  • Contact: universalgiving.org
• YMCA Computer Training Center: Offering computer literacy classes and IT training.
  • Funding: British Volunteer Organisation (VSO) and YMCA
  • Contact: http://www.ymca.gm/

Challenges in Implementing ICT in Education

• Gender Bias: Computer labs are often available after school hours, which is not ideal for girls.
• High Attrition Rate of ICT-Skilled Teachers: Many skilled teachers leave for the private sector.
• Heavy Reliance on Donor Support: Limited government funding leads to dependency on external sources.

Enabling and Constraining Factors