Comparative Analysis of Policies for ICT in Education

As we enter the 21st century, there has been considerable international attention given to the role that ICT can play in economic, social, and educational change. This role has been most pronounced in the world’s developed countries where technology has permeated businesses, schools, and homes and changed the way people work, learn, and play. The impact that ICT has had to date in the developed world, and the potential yet for further dramatic changes, is reflected in a range of multinational policy documents. For example, the leaders of the world’s eight major industrialized democracies (G8 Heads of State, 2000) have noted that ICT has become an engine of growth for the global economy and has the potential to contribute significantly to sustainable economic development, to enhance public welfare, to strengthen democracy, to increase transparency in governance, to nourish cultural diversity, and to foster international peace and stability. At the same time, the group emphasizes the need to develop human resources capable of responding to the demands of the information age and to nurture ICT literacy and skills through education, training, and lifelong learning. The OECD (2001, 2006) also emphasizes the economic importance and impact of ICT in developed countries and points out the need for these countries to develop a workforce with the skills to use ICT to increase productivity, as well as the need for young people to develop ICT skills in preparation for adult life.