Bringing Internet into the classroom is key in improving education systems

Despite the fact that Latin America has substantially increased its education coverage in the last few decades, improvements in the quality of primary, secondary and tertiary education have not progressed at the same rate.

For example, in terms of educational infrastructure - one of the main factors that influence quality indicators -, most schools in the region do not have broadband access, especially those in rural areas. Those who do have Internet generally have a slow connection and few have the necessary infrastructure to bring connectivity into the classroom, a basic prerequisite for the optimum use of technology platforms in the education system.

This reality underlines the need to foster a better and more productive use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in the Latin American education sector. In order for these technologies to have a major impact on learning, teachers and administrators in schools and colleges must be properly trained, so that they may incorporate ICT into the classroom and effectively help improve education and skills among students.

This was the main conclusion of the "Education for the 21^st Century: Connectivity in the Education System" seminar organized by CAF as part of the 5^th Latin American Telecommunications Congress. The congress brought together experts and government officials from the education and telecommunications sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of progressing toward an agenda that will speed up the transformation process in the region's education system by using technology and broadband connectivity.

"ICT can and should contribute to building skills in creativity, critical analysis, collaboration and communication, as well as digital skills and computational thinking. The transformation of teaching methods using ICT will help to expand learning opportunities and foster equality and inclusive education," said Bibiam Díaz, CAF's education specialist.

The consensus among congress delegates was that countries in the region should identify good teaching methods, both at regional and global level, and their success factors, while keeping in mind limited resources, the complexities of Latin American education systems and the time it takes for changes in educational contexts to become effective.

Recommendations point to public policy being comprehensive, so that it may address all aspects of digitizing the education process, such as infrastructure, connectivity and education, also including level of access, use, adaptation, producing content and management of the education process.

Several Latin American countries are already investing in computers and Internet access as a means of training teachers and improving development of skills among students. The next essential step is for governments to come up with solid medium and long-term technology and connectivity plans, with an approach aligned to each country's development goals, aiming to meet the challenges of infrastructure, connectivity, funding and implementation of ICT in education.

Despite the fact that Latin America has substantially increased its education coverage in the last few decades, improvements in the quality of primary, secondary and tertiary education have not progressed at the same rate.

For example, in terms of educational infrastructure - one of the main factors that influence quality indicators -, most schools in the region do not have broadband access, especially those in rural areas. Those who do have Internet generally have a slow connection and few have the necessary infrastructure to bring connectivity into the classroom, a basic prerequisite for the optimum use of technology platforms in the education system.

This reality underlines the need to foster a better and more productive use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in the Latin American education sector. In order for these technologies to have a major impact on learning, teachers and administrators in schools and colleges must be properly trained, so that they may incorporate ICT into the classroom and effectively help improve education and skills among students.

This was the main conclusion of the "Education for the 21^st Century: Connectivity in the Education System" seminar organized by CAF as part of the 5^th Latin American Telecommunications Congress. The congress brought together experts and government officials from the education and telecommunications sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of progressing toward an agenda that will speed up the transformation process in the region's education system by using technology and broadband connectivity.

"ICT can and should contribute to building skills in creativity, critical analysis, collaboration and communication, as well as digital skills and computational thinking. The transformation of teaching methods using ICT will help to expand learning opportunities and foster equality and inclusive education," said Bibiam Díaz, CAF's education specialist.

The consensus among congress delegates was that countries in the region should identify good teaching methods, both at regional and global level, and their success factors, while keeping in mind limited resources, the complexities of Latin American education systems and the time it takes for changes in educational contexts to become effective.

Recommendations point to public policy being comprehensive, so that it may address all aspects of digitizing the education process, such as infrastructure, connectivity and education, also including level of access, use, adaptation, producing content and management of the education process.

Several Latin American countries are already investing in computers and Internet access as a means of training teachers and improving development of skills among students. The next essential step is for governments to come up with solid medium and long-term technology and connectivity plans, with an approach aligned to each country's development goals, aiming to meet the challenges of infrastructure, connectivity, funding and implementation of ICT in education.