ICT and the Education of Refugees : A Stocktaking of Innovative Approaches in the MENA Region
More than 10 million school-age children have been forced out of school in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to armed conflict in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and other countries. Most are displaced internally but others have fled across bor...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/08/26726804/ict-education-refugees-stocktaking-innovative-approaches-mena-region-lessons-experience-guiding-principles http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25172 |
| Summary: | More than 10 million school-age children
have been forced out of school in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) due to armed conflict in Syria, Iraq, Yemen,
Libya and other countries. Most are displaced internally but
others have fled across borders to seek refuge. Displacement
may have become a constant, perhaps permanent feature of the
21st century; if so, it is important to be prepared and
develop a lasting capacity to deal with displacement
wherever it occurs and enact policies that support and
enable new ways to learn.As governments and international
agencies struggle to ensure these children a safe learning
environment and a good quality education, many look to
information and communications technology (ICT) to provide
at least part of the solution. The use of smartphones and
other mobile devices, ubiquitous even among impoverished
refugees, can provide a platform that educators can leverage
to reach marginalized children and youth.The purpose of this
note is to provide a clear and concise snapshot of the role
ICT has played, the promise it holds, the projects that are
currently under preparation, and what more might be done.
This is in no way a comprehensive assessment but rather an
attempt to promote dialogue and inform programs. Among the
main points are the following: The situation of refugees in
MENA is highly diverse and ICT-supported interventions can
be and must be correspondingly diverse: indeed, each
intervention should be tailored to particular needs of
particular groups and be integrated with an appropriate
pedagogy. Technology can also aid parents and relief
organizations, not only students and teachers. While UN
agencies strive to integrate refugees into local school
systems, the potential of small-scale private schooling,
assisted by technology, should be explored. ICT can replace
teachers and organized learning only in rare instances; but
it can provide effective support to education, especially
when supplemented with teacher training. Many seek evidence
that technology-assisted approaches are effective, but
little has been gathered with respect to ICT in education
generally, let alone in emergency situations. The current
situation provides numerous opportunities to build the
evidence base, even carry out randomized control trials, and
thereby improve ICT interventions and bring them to scale.
In the meantime, lacking a robust evidence base, researchers
and practitioners have formulated design principles that can
provide guidance. |
|---|