ICT

In tight budget environments it is tempting to view ICT equipment and training as a luxury to cut. We can all think of a case where technology for technology’s sake hasn’t worked: an unused laptop in the corner of an overfilled classroom, an interactive whiteboard at a school without adequate electricity to support its use, a smartphone game developed for a population of youth without access to smartphones. 

In fact, now is the time for a focus on smart technology integration in all levels of education.

The return on investments in girls’ education and training is well-documented and dramatic. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school results in a 15-25% increase. For international development organizations like IREX, dedicated to practical initiatives with clear impact, that makes the mandate pretty clear: create opportunities that further girls’ education and training.

Donors and implementers who assisted Chileans in the aftermath of the 2010, 8.8-magnitude earthquake recently stood on stage at an event in Santiago organized by the Telecentre.org Foundation in front of representatives from 50 telecentre networks of 100 countries, to share ways information and communication technologies (ICT) helped ease the pain of the disaster. As is typical in crisis situations,utilities and communications were down, government offices were closed, if not destroyed, and media outlets were not broadcasting, leaving a field of misinformation open and alarming an already distraught population.