MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AND FORMATION OF HUMAN GOLD
Chapter 3
3.2. ICT in Education
3.2.1 ICT in Schools
Government statistics have not been gathered to determine the level of computerization in Azerbaijan's education system. The percentage of schoolteachers, who have passed courses of computer literacy (among secondary school teachers) is 15 percent.
Out of the teachers of information techno-logies, only 70 percent know how to use Word processors and text editors, accor-ding to the Main Indices of ICT Ap-plication in Secondary Education in the CIS and Baltic States, a statistical report of UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (2002). The financing of education by the State today is too low to computerize all schools. However, some schools acquire computer equipment and teacher training through various international projects and some schools receive support from oil companies operating in Azerbaijan.
In the development and spread of modern ICT, a significant role has been carried out by various international institutes. In 2002, under the World Bank's first allocation of $5 million, 20 schools in Azerbaijan's five largest cities were provided with modern computer classes. The World Bank's se-cond allocation is expected to increase this amount to $14 million for a period that extends to 2010.
The international NGO Project Harmony is carrying out a project to link schools to PC classes, an experimental program designated to network 10 schools in Azerbaijan and conduct training for teachers. The project's goals are to establish a dialogue network of teachers and develop relationships with schools in the U.S. and other countries. The U.S. organization Junior Achievement coope-rates with the Ministry of Education in Applied Economics in 20 secondary schools in Baku. Each school involved in the program received a computer.
The Open Society Institute-Azerbaijan (OSI) has done a significant job in secondary schools to expand ICT in primary-level education. OSI is launching the project “I*Earn” (IEARN.org) in Azerbaijan. The program has supplied nine schools in Baku and two schools in Sumgayit with computers (one computer per school).
In connection with the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli Project (ACG) of the Sangachal Terminal Expansion Program, which BP and its partners are carrying out, schools in the Garadagh District are conducting computer literacy courses, for which the required equipment and special training has been provided. Simultaneously, the Hu-man Development Center of the ACG Project has trained more than 500 people from local communities.
Along with the use of data from the Azerbaijan Development Gateway e-Readiness Assessment Report-2001, the National Information Communication Technologies Strategy (2003) and inter-national statistical data, other studies to determine the actual supply of computers in secondary schools have been carried out. A survey, Diffusion and Quality of ICT in Azerbaijan with Focus on the Regional Situation-2003, indicates that definite steps related to the introduction of com-puters in school education have been taken. Nevertheless, there are not enough computers and related equipment in the country to link schools with universities and research institutions.
Actual information and detailed statistics are necessary so that adequate decisions can be made for the development of ICT in schools. Work in this direction is currently being done. Surveys within the framework of NHDR-2003 point out the necessity of data correction on the existence of computers and computer classrooms in schools, taking into account the considerable number of computers that were registered and installed back during the Soviet times before models using current systems such as Windows and other software appeared on the market.
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