South Sudan urges education institutions embrace ICT

By Ngor Arol Garang

May 28, 2010 (TURALEI) — The southern Sudan government has on Friday urged tertiary centers and higher learning institutions to speedily adopt the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) in education delivery.

In an interview with Sudan Tribune from Juba, Engineer Stephen Juma, undersecretary at the ministry of telecommunications and postal services said the more ICTs are used in the education institutions, the more motivated and innovative students and teachers will become.

“This Technology is the first of its kind to be launched not only in developing countries like this war emerging region of South Sudan but the entire world and will provide an unprecedented communications link among higher learning institutions in the region,” he said.

He stressed education is fundamental to the development of individuals, because it would enable them to play a positive role in national development. “It is the best leverage for social progress one can be accorded in life,” he adds.

Engineer Juma however added that with the limited physical infrastructure and especially in the war emerging region like South Sudan, access to quality and affordable education for all citizens has its unique challenges.

Nevertheless, he assured South Sudanese that Government is striving to ensure that equitable and accessible education is provided to all citizens.

Government is exerting a lot of efforts that are being seen in all corners of the region where many training centers in many places including universities which connected to communication system in place, he said citing Juba University as one of the higher learning institutions fully connected to offer ICTs at university level.

In addition, he said Government of southern Sudan has already embarked on a program to build polytechnic centers to train the youth in the much-needed technical skills required for our national development.

Juma said the technological changes that have taken place during this era are important to the overall global socio-economic environment and particularly in South Sudan.

He said among the many promises of the digital revolution is its potential to strengthen social equity and make governments more responsive to people’s needs.

The use of ICTs serves to transform governmental information-sharing by making them more accessible, effective and accountable while enabling them to deliver public service, Engineer Stephen called on all higher learning institutions particularly those connected to Communications and information technology to ensure that ICTs Policy is fully implemented.

The telecommunications and postal services ministry is therefore determined to lead the way and strive to revolutionary communication in all sectors. It is time for us to modernize our communication tools and practices, he said.

Engineer Stephen further said the last years during which the use of ICTs has increased, information has become much easier and faster to process, distribute or access.

This entails that information is increasingly being recognized as one of the major drivers of the evolving global economy and becoming an essential factor of production alongside economic growth and social development, he said.

There is need to carefully examine and explore all available avenues in order to succeed in this area, he said reiterating that Southern Sudan is highly versatile and can readily be deployed to all parts of the region for the purpose of delivering education, he implored calling on the Ministry of Education to utilize the new technology in education delivery at all levels from early childhood education to university level.

• (ST)