National Policy on ICT in School Education
The National Policy on Education 1986, as modified in 1992, stressed upon employing educational technology to improve the quality of education. The policy statement led to two major centrally sponsored schemes, namely, Educational Technology (ET) and Computer Literacy and Studies in Schools (CLASS) paving the way for a more comprehensive centrally sponsored scheme – Information and Communication Technology @ Schools in 2004. Educational technology also found a significant place in another scheme on upgradation of science education. The significant role of ICT in school education been highlighted in the National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF) 2005.
Use of ICT for quality improvement also figures in Government of India's flagship programme on education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Again, ICT figured comprehensively in the norm of schooling recommended by Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), in its report on Universal Secondary Education, in 2005.
With the convergence of technologies it has become imperative to take a comprehensive look at all possible information and communication technologies for improving school education in the country. The comprehensive choice of ICT for holistic development of education can be built only on a sound policy. The initiative of ICT Policy in School Education is inspired by the tremendous potential of ICT for enhancing outreach and improving quality of education. This policy endeavours to provide guidelines to assist the States in optimizing the use of ICT in school education within a national policy framework.
Department of Information & Technology, Government of India
The Department of Information Technology (DIT), which is a part of the The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of India, regulates the various aspects of Indian information technology. The following are comprehensive functions of the DIT:
- Policy matters relating to Information Technology; Electronics; and Internet (all matters other than licensing of Internet Service Providers)
- Promotion of Internet, IT and IT-enabled services
- Assistance to other departments in the promotion of e-governance, e-commerce, e-medicine, e-infrastructure, etc.
- Promotion of Information Technology education and Information Technology-based education
- Matters relating to Cyber Laws, administration of the Information Technology Act 2000 (21 of 2000) and other IT-related laws
- Matters relating to promotion and manufacturing of semiconductor devices in the country excluding all matters relating to Semiconductor Complex Limited Mohali; the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout Design Act, 2000 (37 of 2000)
- Interaction in IT-related matters with international agencies and bodies, e. g., Internet for Business Limited, Institute for Education in Information Society and International Code Council-on line
- Initiative on bridging the Digital Divide: matters relating to Media Lab Asia
- Promotion of standardization, testing and quality in IT and standardization of procedures for IT applications and tasks
- Electronics Export and Computer Software Promotion Council
- National Informatics Centre
- Initiatives for development of hardware and software industries including knowledge-based enterprises, measures for promoting IT exports and competitiveness of the industry
- Efforts for increasing the acceptance of FOSS at a national level (NRCFOSS)
Regional Initiatives
Formal Education
Non-Formal Education
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
- “Towards A National Policy on ICT in School Education in India, a Multi- Stakeholder Perspective.” http://www.csdms.in/gesci/
- “National Policy on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in School Education (Draft).” 2009. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
- D. P. S. Seth, 2006 “A report on National Knowledge Network” National Knowledge Commission. http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in/reports/default.asp.
- S. Jha, S. Chatterjee, 2005. “Public-Private Partnership in a Minimally Invasive Education Approach.” http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/docs/Paper09.pdf. Prepared by NIIT Ltd, it illustrates the PPP between the Government of New Delhi, India and NIIT to provide digital literacy.
- Dr S N Prasad, May 25, 2005, “Survey Report on Pre-service Teacher Training on ICT Use in Education in Asia and the Pacific: India Case Study
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