SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA - infoDev

Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) | www.adeanet.orgADEA is a network of partners promoting the development of effective education policies based on Africanleadership and ownership. ADEA has produced research and guidebooks on the use of ICTs in educationsuch as Towards and Information System for Non Formal Education: A Practical Guide.Computer Aid International | www.computeraid.orgHeadquartered in the UK with a dedicated African regional programme comprising officers in Southern,Eastern, Central, and West Africa, Computer Aid International specialises in sourcing and distributingprofessionally refurbished computers for re-use in education, health, and not-for-profit organisations inAfrica and other developing countries. To date Computer Aid International has distributed more than80,000 PCs to developing countries.Computers for African Schools (CFAS) | www.cfas.org.ukCFAS is a registered charity in the UK that mobilises computer donations from firms and computer usersand distributes them to schools in Southern Africa through partner organisations based in Malawi, Tanzania,Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Cisco Systems | www.cisco.comCisco Systems is a global company that promotes networking for the Internet. In Africa, Cisco is a leadingpartner in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) e-Schools programme to which itcontributed human and financial resources. Cisco led a consortium of companies in this project in whichit promoted the installation of networking equipment for Internet access and satellite connectivity inschools in Algeria, Ghana, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa. It also promoted the use ofdigital education content and teacher training in these countries. In addition, Cisco has established aNetworking Academy programme that trains students to design, build, and maintain computer networks. Anumber of Networking Academies have been established in Africa in countries like, Ghana, Mauritius,and Nigeria.Commonwealth of Learning (COL) | www.col.orgThe Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealthheads of government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance educationknowledge, resources, and technologies. COL has historically assisted with the development and support ofnational ICT for education policies in some African countries that form part of the Commonwealth, andhave promoted the growth of national schoolnet organisations through networking workshops, actionresearch, and the publication of guidebooks such as the African SchoolNet Toolkit which it produced inpartnership with SchoolNet Africa. COL is also spearheading the establishment of a Virtual University forSmall States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) which involves a number of small states in Africa and whichserves as a network committed to the collaborative development of free content resources for education.COL is also involved in a programme on ICTs in support of technical vocational education and training inAfrica in partnership with UNESCO.Department for International Development (DFID) | www.dfid.gov.ukDFID is the official ministry within the British government that promotes the fight against world poverty.DFID supports numerous bilateral programmes in Africa in support of education, the Education For Allobjectives, and the Millennium Development Goals. With particular reference to ICTs in education inAfrica, DFID has in the past established organisations such as Imfundo, which has developed a knowledgebank of research on the experiences related to ICTs in education in Africa; DFID has also supportedresearch done by the TESSA programme.Digital Links | www.digital-links.orgDigital Links is headquartered in the UK with offices in South Africa and Tanzania. They provide an ITdisposal service to UK companies, and refurbish computers for re-use in schools, NGOs, and small enter-36Survey of ICT and Education in Africa: A Summary Report Based on 53 Country Surveys