ICT IN EDUCATION PROJECT students. It is therefore clear that the technology in the education system is not adequate for supporting acceleration in the utilization of ICT for national development, and in fact, is unlikely to even meet the current demand. It should be noted that budgetary constraints have been the main limiting factor in making ICT available to MOE. However, three (3) major initiatives will significantly improve or provide additional infrastructure, namely: • • • The EU-funded ICT in Education Project The use of the Universal Service Fund to enhance connectivity for school and household access to wireless broadband The Laptop Project which will enable a level playing field Within this context, the Ministry of Education (MOE) embarked in late 2007, on an Improvement of Education through the use of Information and Communication Technology Project. This project is funded by the European Community (EU) to a maximum of 12.1 million Euros of the total cost of 13.27 million Euros. The operational implementation phase of the project is expected to be completed by 31 December 2011, and closed by 31 December 2013. The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of education at all levels nationwide by creating opportunities to use ICT in innovative ways, including its integration into the pedagogy of the teaching/learning processes. Figure 11 below illustrates the global trend of students to computers. 1. New wireless computer labs in all 20 Secondary Schools 2. New wireless computer labs in 43 (70%) of Primary Schools which have the infrastructure and space for computer labs 3. Ten (10) laptops for each of the remaining twenty (20) primary schools (which do not yet have the physical space for a computer lab) 4. Each school will receive innovative whiteboards, a projector and two teaching laptops for teachers to use ICT, internet and power-point presentations to prepared and teach certain subjects 5. Teachers will be retrained to use ICT to teach specific courses 6. The development of an on-line SVGeNET 7. The Project will construct three new high tech, state-of-the-art lecture theatres at the Community College to accommodate 1,000 students. It will also construct ICT labs and install Distance Learning Equipment for on-line degree courses STUDENT LAPTOP NETBOOK PROJECT 30,000 Netbooks will be distributed to Primary, Secondary and Community College Students free. Figure 11: Global Trend on Student to Computer Ratio 1. It will raise the computer/ student ratio to 110% 2. It will facilitate the integration of ICT in education 3. SVGeNET will be used to facilitate teaching and learning Current Usage in Non-ICT Sectors P a g e | 41