GeSCI: delivering ICTs in education, partnerships and the MDGs.

• Author: Nolan, Stephen
• Position: Working Together - Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative - United Nations Information and Communications Technologies - UN Millennium Development Goal

The World Bank indicates that there are currently 867 million illiterate adults in the world today, 64 per cent of them women. Beyond these statistics is the reality that the quality of education in developing countries is inadequate.

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Over 370 million of the world's 1.3 billion school-aged children are not in school. Indeed, it is likely that school non-attendance is due to the realization that the value of going to school would be limited. Prevalent gender inequality in many countries results in what little resources are available that benefit boys to a greater extent than girls, with female enrolment across sub-Saharan Africa averaging 20 per cent lower for primary and secondary education. Based on demographics alone, things are likely to get worse. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an additional 15 million to 35 million educated and trained teachers will be needed over the next decade if all countries are to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education by 2015.

The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), which is evolving as a pioneer in the field of global partnership, was established in 2003 by the United Nations Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Task Force to facilitate efforts to use the power of new technologies in addressing crises in education and communities. Collaborative, sensitive, demand-driven, but a pioneer in the true sense of the word, GeSCI envisions and embodies synergies of efforts where no links previously existed. It believes in theory and practice that partnerships are the way to the achievement of the MDGs, for human development is a universal responsibility, it is our common lookout. Thus, all quarters-government ministries, implementing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), global and local private companies, academic institutions--have a role to play. The Global e-Schools Initiative in the realm of ICTs in education aims simply to create and coordinate partnerships in the application of strategies that create the most far-reaching results. In order to help developing countries to maximize the impact of ICTs in education and communities, GeSCI brings together existing efforts in comprehensive initiatives that can deliver large-scale effects.

Speaking in 2004 in Dublin. Ireland, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: "if we are to bridge the digital divide, we...