Strategy and action modalities
ICTs are changing daily. Specialised knowledge and know-how tends to accumulate in the hands of a restricted number of institutions in developed countries. Very often, these institutions are not traditionally part of the educational or academic community.
Faced with this situation, UNESCO's education specialists propose a strategy of 'prudent acceleration'. The first biennium of the new programme will thus place emphasis on expanding and sharing the knowledge base in the areas described above. UNESCO will strive to complement the extensive knowledge gathered within industrialized countries focusing on subjects and geographical areas where the knowledge base is thin or non-existent.
UNESCO will focus on three action modalities, namely normative, standard-setting actions linked to public advocacy; secondly the creation, advancement, and sharing of knowledge, and thirdly cooperation through networks and partnerships. This will include investigating, consulting, and taking positions on the following:
- The tensions and equilibriums between public and private education
- The respective roles of the state and of civil society in ICT-based education
- The effects of globalization and the cybermarket on educational systems and learning opportunities
- Legal and regulatory measures that are developing and the need for them to be linked to cross-border ICT knowledge exchange and learning opportunities
- Useful and acceptable measures that can limit the use of ICTs in disseminating non-ethical educational contents
- Ways to make cost, accessibility, and appropriateness of ICTs a contributing factor to reducing educational disparities
It will be particularly important that UNESCO's voice be heard in all global fora debating the impact of ICTs on education as a public good in the context of globalization and privatization of education.
UNESCO will undertake an in-depth search for examples of 'best practice', and will share these examples extensively with all partners and constituencies, notably in developing countries.
Further actions under UNITE will include:
- Policy and strategy advice to member states;
- Cooperation through networks and partnerships
Normative standard-setting action coupled with advocacy
Operational field projects