Information and communication technology in education: a curriculum for schools and programme of teacher development

UNESCO aims to ensure that all countries, both developed and developing, have access to the best educational facilities necessary to prepare young people to play a full role in modern society and to contribute to wealth creation. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become, within a very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Understanding ICT and mastering the basic skills and concepts of ICT are now regarded by many countries as part of the core of education alongside reading and writing. This area of study sometimes goes under the all-embracing name of informatics. To give positive, practical help to all UNESCO countries, the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) has been asked to specify a curriculum in informatics for secondary education based on the experience of its specialist Working Group on Secondary Education (WG 3.1) and input from other selected experts. The curriculum is designed to be capable of implementation throughout the world to all secondary age students. All governments aim to provide the most comprehensive education for all citizens within the constraints of available finance. Because of the pivotal position of information and communication technology in modern societies, its introduction into secondary schools will be high on any political agenda. This document gives a practical and realistic approach which can be adopted quickly and at minimum cost.