IT and Educational Policy in the Sub-Saharan African Region

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of Information Technology (IT) and education policies in sub-Saharan Africa. The chapter begins with the discussion of ethnic, socio-economic and the educational systems of the region and their interaction. It then discusses information technology policies and how they can be integrated into education systems of the region. At the beginning 2006, 28 of the sub-Saharan countries had developed national IT policies aimed at ameliorating the realization of national development goals. These policies were global in the sense that it was at the discretion of each government ministry to develop appropriate implementation strategies. It is argued that the IT policies in Education in sub-Saharan Africa must address at least six strategic objectives: IT professional development for management, teaching and learning, electronic content resource development and distribution, access of IT infrastructure, connectivity, community engagement and research and development. Recommendations for further policy development are given.