Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA

76 Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning
to manipulate it effectively for new applications. This indicates clearly the
importance of developing management information systems that allow
for cheap, easy, and logical storage and retrieval of information.
These benefits notwithstanding, in developing countries where large
segments of the population are living in extreme poverty, it is often asked
whether it is reasonable to invest money in technology for the education
system, instead of using the same money to improve the living conditions
of those in dire need. In response to such questions Osin (1998, p2)
states, ‘I believe that these interests are not contradictory and that the
only way to reach a long-term solution for the economic problems of
the population is to raise the educational level, particularly for the low
socio-economic groups’. He then continues to argue that the introduction
of computers into education in developing countries is also financially
feasible. 10 Similarly, Potashnik & Rawlings (1996) state that:
a main tenet of our study is that the introduction of
information and communications technology in education
in developing countries should not wait until
a country has reached some predetermined state of
economic or educational development.
(Potashnik et al., 1996, p3)
8. Importance of ICT for Education
Further, short-term concerns for equity at the national level, such as for
example, costs of ICT provision versus health care, must be balanced by
long-term concerns for equity at the international level where the level of
basic ICT skills of the people in any specific country will be increasingly
important for global competitiveness, and ultimately, economic growth
and wealth generation. The increasing importance of ICT in a global
context requires an appropriate response from developing countries,
which are not immune from the effects of globalization. African countries
cannot avoid the impact of ICT; the challenge becomes that of how to
respond to these new global pressures in ways that will lead to the
greatest benefit for the continent.
What should be of concern, however, is the tendency of some to assume
that ICT is the panacea to all educational problems. This is certainly not
so, either in developing or developed countries. Based on a study of the
10. Cost issues are very important when discussing educational use of ICT, as difficult
decisions often have to be made with limited resources. Cost issues will be discussed further
below.