Update: NEPAD e schools Initiative

31.05.2006 World Economic Forum on Africa 2006 The ambitious NEPAD e schools project aims to impart ICT skills to young people throughout the continent, reaching 600,000 schools in 54 countries over the next ten years. Henry Chasia, Executive Deputy Chairperson, The NEPAD e Africa Commission, South Africa, said this is a massive undertaking. It is necessary to have partnerships, and the private sector IT companies have joined from the very beginning.

A demonstration model is operating in 20 countries, each with six schools in the programme, and two companies involved in each country. "There has been a tremendous willingness to work together," said Chasia. Progress has been slower than expected, but by the end of the year it is hoped that at least six schools will have fully trained teachers and be operating with full digital content, paid for by the companies. "We are learning from the process and find there is certainly not one solution for all. Countries are different, and circumstances change, even from school to school in the same country."

Daniel Shine, Director, 50x15 Programme, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), USA, applauded NEPAD for the way the all encompassing programme is being tackled, even in places where there is no central power supply and innovative sources have to be found to provide consistent connectivity. The unifying theme is that the project must be sustainable, with the pilot schools providing an example that other people want to follow.

One of the lessons from the project is that even though the participating companies are competitors, they can work together with governments and local communities to find solutions in these difficult circumstances, said Bill Souders, Senior Director, IT, Cisco Systems, South Africa. There is a lot that can be shared between organizations, such as the networking academies that use students and graduates to help provide the skills needed for long term support.

"It is particularly striking to see how at ease the children are with technology the teachers less so," said Souders. "What has to be put in place is a change management system. Everyone recognizes this, and we're addressing it." Specific modules are needed for teachers, and a lot is being done online to improve their knowledge, and with it their comfort levels.

A participant from Mali mentioned how important it is to involve the whole community. Mali's idea of getting a single person in a village to obtain a generator and provide power for the school and other purposes has worked very well. Shine said the project is a catalyst for community development. Once a teacher understands the technology, he or she can send e mails in the evening for others, and the school lab can become a public service centre.

The next step, said Chasia, is to form deeper partnerships with governments. Ernst & Young is drawing up a business plan which will be the basis of an approach to each of the 20 participating countries, who will be asked to make a ten year commitment, including a budget to finance at least 50% of the costs. "Then we will go to civil society the churches and old boys associations to create an awareness and get support to enable us to move forward There must also be an implementing body to drive the process." Company representatives estimate that about US$ 20 million has been spent so far, but it is regarded as a donation, rather than an investment.

Moderator Olayinka David West, Faculty, IS and IT Courses, Lagos Business School, Nigeria, said an important lesson so far is that there cannot be a one size fits all approach. It is important to take the best from the pilot programme, get governments to put the right people in place, and provide financial support when it is needed. Chasia stressed the need for enthusiasts, particularly "out there in the country" to drive the project forward. Suinat said ICT penetration creates knowledge workers, so there are widespread spin offs for the community.

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