AYF-News> Discussion Part II - Bridging Policy on IT training and Education in Africa

[ayf@xxxxxxx]

Dear All,

We are now beginning the second round of our online discussion on Bridging
Policy on IT training and Education in Africa. Over the next ten days we will
focus on the perspective of policymakers. The discussion in this session
should focus on instances in which education policies have been clearly driven 
by
results or have clearly failed to pay heed to available resources in Africa.
The fundamental question being asked is: what determines the decisions taken
by policy makers?

For this session, three areas of discussion are proposed:

1. The organisation or incentive structure in which policy-makers function -
Several questions come to mind: 
-       Does educational policies respond more to requirements in a more
democratic state?
-       Does a civil service based on meritocracy make better use of resources?
-       Is it necessary to have IT Departments within the bureaucracy of African
Governments to simplify and crystallise the results of more IT training?
-       Are African Education policymakers with academic backgrounds more likely
to draw on the need for IT training for the youth?

The key point, of course, is to identify which educational structures or set
of incentives are associated with the most productive use of IT training and
formal education results in these countries.

2. External circumstances - Here the questions are similar in spirit but
different in focus. For example;
-       Are policy-makers more or less likely to draw on academic results in 
times
of crisis? 
-       Are there windows of opportunity during which the injection of a key
educational results can be decisive? 
-       Are stable internal and external environments necessary for a measured
approach to education policies based on careful assessment of available
educational schemes for African countries?

3. Third parties ? 
-       Does the media play a crucial role in bringing Academic findings to the
attention of the policy maker? 
-       Can an active NGOs play this role? 
-       The most effective means of conveying educational training results? 
-       Can the International Financial Institutions serve as a fruitful vehicle
for introducing the implications of international or global education to
African governments? 
-       Can other African countries provide demonstrations of educational
research-based policies that in turn influence their neighbours?

As with the session on the IT training perspective, participants are asked
to Address these questions as much as possible, but should also feel free to
introduce other issues not captured by this simple three-part classification.
Examples that can become the material for case studies are especially
welcome.

Once again, those of who wouldn?t want to send your comments to the
discussion boards, are welcome to send them to jansen@xxxxxx or ayf@xxxxxxx

We look forward to a further interesting discussion!

The Moderator


-- 
African Youth Foundation
Keldenicher str. 89
D-50389 Wesseling

Tel: 0049 175 517 9953
Fax: 0049 1212 510 323 700

www.ayf.de
www.freenet.de/ayf
Email: ayf@xxxxxxx

GMX - Die Kommunikationsplattform im Internet.
http://www.gmx.net