Strategy framework for promoting ICT literacy in the Asia-Pacific region

There is almost universal acceptance that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are good for development. For example in the area of education, the World Bank points out that “educators and policymakers agree that ICTs are of paramount importance to the future of education” and that “ICT in education initiatives … are likely to successfully contribute to meeting Millennium Development Goals.” These technologies, most particularly those that are Internet-connected and capable of providing online information in real-time, “increase access through distance learning, enable a knowledge network for students, train teachers, broaden the availability of quality education materials, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration policy.” 1 This position is shared by parents and teachers on the ground, such that the mere availability of ICTs in schools has come to be almost always equated with progress. ICTs in schools engender high hopes and great expectations for expanding personal and national horizons.