ICT4SouthAsiaED: Bhutan

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Bhutan Information and Communication Technologies Policy and Strategy (BIPS) Bhutan Information and Communication Technologies Policy and Strategy (BIPS), 2004 outlines government’s approach to IT sector. The overall policy objectives that underpin the initiatives in the BIPS report are aggregated under five strategic and logical headings : Policy: Policy focuses on strengthening the relevant policy and regulatory bodies, and investigating ways to fund ICT and reduce the costs of ICT services. Infrastructure: Implementing the liberalized and competitive infrastructure market, and increasing co-ordination between infrastructure providers, and ensuring that there is affordable, fast, secure, sustainable and appropriate ICT infrastructure throughout Bhutan Human Capacity: Human Capacity activities are aimed at ensuring appropriate ICT awareness and skills from computer literacy to high level technical skills to boost the ICT industry. Content and Applications: To enable Bhutan to fully harness the benefits of ICT for its development, enhancing quality and accessibility of health and education. Enterprise: Planned activities will boost the competency of the ICT private sector, and provide business opportunities through outsourcing RGoB ICT work. The Policy aims to improve the quality and coverage of training institutions, through developing a centre of excellence to boost the quality and accredit ICT training institutes in Bhutan. A national ICT awareness campaign is another important element. The strategies as described by the BIPS pertaining to education are as follows: Develop a plan for a countrywide connectivity to ICT infrastructure, including schools, Geog centers and villages. Identify educational partners in Centre of Excellence Identify and establish linkages with international institutions Create curriculum for skills required in the market Ensure infrastructure for middle and high schools Develop an adequate ICT literacy curriculum for schools Establish e-learning nodes in all kiosks and telecentres Share educational resources throughout Bhutan Link to Policy Draft http://www.moic.gov.bt/pdf/bips.pdf http://www.moic.gov.bt/bips.php Regional Initiatives Formal Education Organisation Programme Link 1. Singapore International Foundation (SIF) Bhutan “Support for Teacher Education” Project 2. Ministry of Information & Communications Royal Government of Bhutan ICTization of schools 3. DIT & PAN localization project Local Content Development and Dzongkha Localization 4. The Department of Information Technology, the National Library, Institute of Language and Cultural Studies and The University of Virginia, USA National Digital Library of Bhutan (NDLB) http://www.intel.com/cd/corporate/education/APAC/ENG/in/239067.htm Non-Formal Education Organisation Programme Link 1. Bhutan Broadcasting Services Radio Browsing 2. Microsoft UP, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and UNESCAP Community Information Centers (CIC) http://www.dit.gov.bt/publication.php?id=5 http://www.dit.gov.bt/publication.php?id=2 http://www.dit.gov.bt/publication.php?id=1 Content Development Bibliography Ms Usha Vyasulu Reddi (Ph. D), Ms Vineeta Sinha, “South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka”, UNESCO Meta-survey on the Use of Technologies in Education http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ict/e-books/metasurvey/3country_south.pdf Philip Wong, Bhutan “Support for Teacher Education” http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ict/e-books/Teacher_Education_Case_Studies/Bhutan__Support_for_Teacher_Education__Project.pdf ICTization of Schools-cum-Communities in Bhutan, June 2004 "Ministry of Information & Communications Royal Government of Bhutan" http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ldc/documents/projects-2003/bhutan3.pdf Other Relavent Links http://www.dit.gov.bt/index.php http://www.bbs.com.bt/ http://www.library.gov.bt/ http://www.dit.gov.bt/admin/index.php/National_Digital_Library_of_Bhutan Click here to go back to ICT in Education - India and South Asia