E-Learning Africa rd Ministerial Round Table Leadership for Creating Inclusive Education Systems: The Role of ICTs Mulungushi International Conference Centre Lusaka, Zambia 26 May 2010

Discussion Session 1 Country perspectives regarding leadership capacity challenges and requirements on the role of ICT in developing inclusive education systems and Knowledge Societies

ICT Innovations and Educational Challenges  Developing world faces severe challenges with regard to education. Some of these challenges can be addressed with ICT if used in innovative ways  These challenges can be summarized as:  a lack of universal and inclusive access to education  poor quality of education  poor management of the education system  the increasing irrelevance of the current education system in the knowledge society. INCLUSIVE ACCESS? QUALITY ? RELEVANCE ? MANAGEMENT ?

Knowledge Society - A Strategic Choice for Development?  Globalized world: knowledge is increasingly the key factor of production as well as a raw material for economic development.  Information, knowledge and innovation based businesses are taking over many of the traditional sectors of commerce and industry (great unbundling of production).  While the transition to knowledge-based economies and societies is progressing, the gap between developing countries and developed or industrialized countries can be widening due to the lower investments in ICT, education and innovation processes in developing countries UNCTAD_Knowledge and Innovation.doc World of Knowledge & Innovation (R&D) World of Money ( GDP)

Knowledge Society and Development

Knowledge Society - Knowledge Structures: Better Education needed Transformation of a society requires  more investment in education, innovation systems, and ICT infrastructure.  more coherent Knowledge Society policy that requires collaboration across the relevant ministries, especially between ministries of education, ICT, S&T, industry and finance.  Education ministries have key role in this development.  GeSCI’s mission is to work together with MoEs empowering their policy making and strategy capacity for Knowledge Society.

What can governments do?  Government cannot solve the problem alone - multi level and multi stakeholder approaches and partnerships are needed  Government should provide  Leadership, strategies and policies to create enabling environment for development  A blue print and a road map for development partners to steer the multi stakeholder contributions  Key resources ( human and financial) and  Institutional capacity for implementation

Transformational leadership

Transformational Leadership Competencies

Now let’s discuss…  What leadership capacities are required to develop and sustain inclusive education systems for inclusive Knowledge Societies?  How do we expect to build such capacities?  What role can ICT play?