development agenda leaders speak
50th issue special
Recruit Teachers Only on Contract Basis www.worldbank.org.in
Sam Carlson Lead Education Specialist, The World Bank
Integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into education has long been initiatives undertaken by World Bank – what has been the success so far and what is awaiting in future? It is generally believed that ICTs can empower teachers and learners, promote change and foster the development of ‘21st century skills, but data to support these beliefs are still limited. Proponents argue that ICTs can and will transform teaching and learning processes from being highly teacherdominated to student-centered, and that this transformation will result in increased learning gains for students. ICTs are seen to be less effective (or ineffective) when the goals for their use are not clear. While such a statement would appear to be self-evident, the specific goals for ICT use in education are often, in practice, only very broadly or rather loosely defined. The positive impact of ICTs is more likely when linked to changes in teachers’ 28
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pedagogy, which in turn requires focused, iterative teacher professional development to realise changes in classroom practices. The uses of ICTs for simulations and modeling in science and math have been shown to be effective, as have word processing and communication software (e-mail) in the development of student language and communication skills. It may be that more useful analyses of the impact of ICT that emerge when the methods used to measure achievement and outcomes are more closely related to the learning activities and processes promoted by the use of ICTs. Most users feel that using ICTs make them more effective and self-directed learners. In addition, there appears to be general consensus that both teachers and students feel ICT use greatly contributes to student motivation for learning. Placing computers in classrooms enables integration with core curricular subjects and greater use of ICTs for ‘higher order’ skills than placing computers in separate computer laboratories. This can be facilitated by use of portable laptops and ‘computer labs on wheels’ which can move from classroom to classroom as needed. For me, getting the technology INTO the classroom is critical to get beyond simple ICT literacy skills and should be the objective for the future. What is your vision for education of India in the next millennium? My vision of education in India by 2150 is one where ALL children complete Class 12 and develop the intellectual curiosity, skills, habits and knowledge needed to succeed in the global economy. Students who want to continue on to higher education can, while those who want to enter the labour market will be able to because they will have the knowledge and skills to be productive. This vision also includes more active participation of parents in the functioning
of public schools such that political pressure and public debate are focused on how to improve public schools and student learning outcomes, rather than on what are the rules for admission into private nursery schools, which seems to be the case today. What has been the strategy of World Bank in drafting formulations and framing policies? Which are the states that are currently under your projects? In India the World Bank supports the Government of India’s efforts to improve elementary, secondary, technical and vocational education. WE work mainly at the national level in support of centrally sponsored schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the recently launched Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). We also support 400 Industrial Training Institutes across almost all 35 States and UTs, and another 150odd technical/engineering colleges spread around the country. So in that sense ALL States are benefitting from the World Bank’s support. We do, however, provide some additional targeted support to a few States, such as Bihar and Karnataka, through capacity-building grants, and do some cutting-edge operational research in other States such as Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This work is primarily designed to generate lessons which can be applied at the national level. In education, what is the share of percentage focused only on South Asian region including India and the response so far? India is the World Bank’s single largest recipient of support for education, which is entirely appropriate given India’s size, education sector needs and the government’s commitment to mobilising domestic resources to invest in education. Our financing is offered on concessional