A new publication by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) analyses eight cases of good practice in which information and communications technologies (ICTs) can be used in the Latin American school system to contribute to inclusion and reduce social inequalities.
The document Las tecnologías digitales frente a los desafíos de una educación inclusiva en América Latina. Algunos casos de buenas prácticas (Digital technologies facing the challenges of an inclusive education in Latin America. Some cases of good practice) was drafted as part of the activities of the @LIS2 programme (Alliance for the Information Society, phase 2 - Inclusive political dialogue and exchange of experiences), which has been jointly developed by ECLAC and the European Union.
The work includes a series of studies on policies and programmes to integrate digital technologies into education in various Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay. The document presents a range of good practices in Latin America, which can be used to discuss and design policies for various situations and needs.
Editors Guillermo Sunkel and Daniela Trucco, from the Social Development Division of ECLAC, explain that half of the cases concern national policies that have become interesting references when it comes to considering policy options: the national educational IT programme in Costa Rica, Enlaces in Chile, the Colombian media and ICT use programme and the Ceibal Plan (Educational Connectivity/Basic Computing for Online Learning) in Uruguay.
The other four programmes are local ones implemented to respond to various challenges in the education system. They are the Uantakua multimedia programme in Mexico, the integral digital education plan of the Education Ministry of Buenos Aires (Argentina), the education media centre programme in the Brazilian Amazon and the Fundación Telefónica Classrooms project of the Pro-Child programme in Panama.
The document also examines potential synergies between local and national experiences, as well as the opportunity to recreate good practices. The publication analyses the conditions that facilitate implementation of ICT initiatives in education.
The results of the studies were presented and discussed at the international seminar on Digital technologies facing the challenges of an inclusive education in Latin America. Some cases of good practice, held at the ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile, on 26 and 27 April 2012. The meeting was attended by renowned international experts, academics, policymakers and representatives from non-governmental organizations.
Press contact:
ECLAC Public Information and Web Services Section.
ECLAC Headquarters: Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura, Santiago.
E-mail: prensa@cepal.org, Telephone: (56 2) 210 2040.
