Developing Guiding Principles for ICT in Education Policy

1. Proposal to Dep't of Education, MHRD, Govt of India Developing Guiding Principles for ICT in Education Policy GeSCI – India

2. Why do we need an ICT in Education Policy? • Approximately 1000 ICT initiatives across India - need convening and alignment to avoid duplication of resources. • Outside of government initiatives, many ICT4D & E programs do not report to any authority – cannot be aggregated. • Inequality in ICT4E progress between states – need platform for knowledge sharing to ensure equitable development. • Need for a neutral trusted party to independently monitor progress and evaluate impact. • We need a scaled-up ICT4E policy that sets down a framework to capture the lessons learned from both pilots and mature initiatives for future roadmaps. GeSCI – India

3. GeSCI proposes the following Process : • MHRD to appoint a steering committee, selected from the ranks of related GoI structures, academia, state-wide representative bodies, the private sector and civil society sector. • To be followed by a national consultative process to understand the needs, challenges and issues of the states and union territories and other stake holders at large. This consultative process could take the form of regional workshops in key areas and meetings with key stakeholders and surveys. • Committee to recommend a plan of action to MHRD on how to best assist the states and union territories and other stakeholders in the ICT in Education arena. • The findings will be distilled to the MHRD. Recommendations will be made in the form of a dynamic ICT in Education policy which can be updated on an ongoing basis. GeSCI – India

4. Approach An efficient ‘end-to-end’ system, being demand-driven and based on strong partnership and close co-ordination, is the key to achieving real impact: Key inputs System User Deployment of ICT platform Content User training and support Technical support Monitoring and reporting • Educational Objectives • Partners • Funding GeSCI – India

5. GeSCI – India

6. Road map Stage-I • Creation of the Steering Committee, a small and representative body to lead and spearhead the process, headed by the Education Secy and his team of representatives • Formation of a Task Force, a team comprising of the Implementation partners, representatives of the thematic groups, to collate, distill and present the recommendations of the thematic groups to the Steering Com • Formation of the Thematic groups, comprising of experts and stakeholder representatives to carry out the consultative process culminating in a set of recommendations to be included in the Guidelines GeSCI – India

7. Road map Stage-II • On the advice of the Steering Com, the Task Force to call for the first meeting with all the proposed stakeholders, including representatives from the states and the academia etc • The Task Force will initiate a national consultative process to understand the needs, challenges and issues of the states and union territories and other stake holders at large • This consultative process could take the form of workshops in key thematic areas and meetings with key stakeholders and surveys • The thematic groups would meet regularly to come up with a set of recommendations that will form the Guidelines on the National ICT in Education policy GeSCI – India

8. Road map Stage-III • The results of the consultative process and considerations of each Thematic group would be collated and recommendations would be made to the Task Force • The Task Force would distil all the recommendations from the thematic groups and provide intra linkages between the various thematic groups and inter linkages between related departments. The Task Force would then collate the recommendations thus recd and create a draft document to be presented to the Steering Com • The Steering Com would add to the document and approve a draft ICT in Education policy GeSCI – India

9. Proposed Thematic areas • Infrastructure and deployment • Content • Training and usage • Maintenance and technical support • Monitoring and Evaluation Note: Alternative and/or additional thematic groups may emerge during the first meeting with the Steering Committee GeSCI – India

10. Suggested Time Line GeSCI – India

11. Roles and responsibilities of core partners: MoE & GeSCI • GeSCI - to help lend expertise both in-house and via external partners • GeSCI - to attend relevant meetings, workshops and conferences, providing assistance where applicable • GeSCI - to help MHRD establish key partnerships with national and/or international organisations • MoE - to provide leadership and support, facilitating access to other government departments and stakeholders • MoE - to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate the work with other stakeholders • MoE - to provide personnel, as needed to assist in research and planning • MoE - to organise the thematic workshops and planning meetings GeSCI – India

12. Next Steps • MoU between Dept of Education, MHRD, GoI and GeSCI • Gesci to help identify and sign up partnership agreements with approved Strategic / Implementing partner/ s • MHRD to appoint a Nodal officer of the position of Director of Education within the MHRD • GeSCI to help MHRD Nodal officer to produce an ‘Existing State of Policy in Education in India’  - at the centre, the states and other territories. • Document to provide the basis for the first workshop from which thematic areas would be proposed. • GeSCI to help MHRD and stakeholders to identify initial partner states. GeSCI – India