CONNECT A SCHOOL, CONNECT A COMMUNITY

Over the long term, broadband connectivity in educational settings can be leveraged to ensure that students grow up with some level of familiarity, not only with basic operation of devices such as PCs, but also with the online resources that are available across the world.  Such resources are rapidly growing, providing tools to enable research, collaboration, communication, trade, civic participation, and access to government services. 

By enacting policies intended to teach a generation of students how to access and contribute to online resources, policymakers can help create adults who are able to use local and global online resources for greater individual participation in national and global economies.  This, in turn, contributes to broad socioeconomic development that is a key goal, particularly in developing countries.

For these reasons, improving and expanding connectivity for educational institutions is often a key component of national development plans, as well as national ICT plans and policies.  While ICTs are key tools in enabling and promoting socioeconomic development, research has indicated that investment in ICTs alone is not as effective as investment in ICTs and education together.⁴

Encouraging evidence exists that developing countries are – in one fashion or another – taking educational goals into account in their ICT development plans.  A 2007 survey carried out by infoDev found that among 48 African countries that had (or were developing) a national ICT plan, 39 also had (or were developing) plans for including ICTs in their education sectors.⁵ 

While plans for including ICTs in education programmes should address goals beyond connectivity, broadband connectivity certainly is a logical component of new and updated sector plans -- for both ICT and education.  Coordinating these plans and efforts can provide a key means to expand opportunities for socioeconomic development.