A "Smarter Thailand" with "Smarter People" and a "Smarter Government" - this is the main goal of Thailand's second Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Master Plan for 2009-2013, drafted by the National Electronic and Computer Technology Center (Nectec).

 Progress in the use of ICT in education has been very slow and uneven. UNESCO/ HARTFRIED SCHMID

ICT literacy as a goal

The plan aims to increase Thailand's ICT readiness to enable the country to become a major competitor in the global market.

One of its objectives is to encourage 50 percent of the population above 15 years old to be ICT-literate and able to use computers in all areas of their lives.

Human resource development and capacity building will be a major strategy for meeting this target. "Progress in the use of ICT in education has been very slow and uneven. Its utilisation lacks continuity in terms of government support, budget and professional development," said Assoc Prof Dr Thanomporn Laohajaratsang, director of Chiang Mai University's Information Technology Service Centre.

ICT was first introduced to the Thai school system in 1984 when computer courses were included in the mathematics syllabus.Has ICT made an impact? Studies show that the achievements of Thai students in the core subjects at both primary (prathom) and secondary (mathayom) schools were below the international averages.

The findings prompted several education reforms, with ICT seen as an innovative intervention to help develop a knowledge-based society.

The National Information Technology Policy Framework 2001-2010, the first National ICT Master Plan 2002-2006, and now the second ICT Master Plan, are seen as instruments for providing vision and strategies for the use of learning technologies to improve the quality of education in the country. But how well do they translate into actions on the ground?

According to data from the World Bank, the number of personal computers per 100 people grew from 2.8 percent in 2000 to 7 percent in 2006, while the number of internet users per 100 people rose from 3.8 percent in 2000 to 13.3 percent in 2006. About 37 percent of schools were connected to the internet in 2004.

"All these facilities need long-term investment, but the government does not provide enough funds to meet the needs," said Dr Pornpun Waitayangkoon, vice-president of the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching and Technology.

Providing a robust ICT infrastructure, building the capacity of teachers to use ICT in the classroom, and developing the materials to support teaching and learning practices require continuous commitment and support.

In many Thai schools, particularly those in rural areas, computers are inadequate and access to both computers and the internet is limited.

Next Generation of Teachers Knitsara Boonwong, a science teacher at Pattana Prachaupprathum School in Phrae province in northern Thailand, said many schools only provide access to computers during organised computer classes, of about two hours per week, limiting the opportunity for children to do research for their homework.

"Many rural schools don't even have telephone connections or access to the internet," she said.

There are also concerns about teachers' computer literacy levels, and the failure to go beyond computer classes in order to integrate ICT into subject areas.

Through Unesco's "Next Generation of Teachers" project and the "Intel Teach" programme, teachers have more opportunities to acquire ICT knowledge and skills.

Also, the Ministry of Education's "Model ICT Schools" project aims to make student-centred learning a reality and the "Cyber University" project tries to provide more opportunities for distance higher education. To support these efforts, more online teaching and learning resources are encouraged and increased.

The feedback from educators has raised awareness about the slow and uneven progress.

What's next?

"Besides having the basic ICT skills, teachers need to understand what it means by using ICT in the classrooms and see the importance of it," said Ms Thanomporn of Chiang Mai University.

Somnuek Ounphim from Wat Singhsatit Municipal School in Chai Nat province in central Thailand said training to develop teaching aids and materials is seriously inadequate; while instructional media are desperately needed, as are the skills to develop them.

It remains to be seen if the lessons learned from the past 25 years be enough to ensure that the second ICT Master Plan will deliver a "smarter" Thailand.Lay Cheng Tan is programme officer with the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (Apeid) at Unesco Bangkok. She can be contacted at lc.tan@ unescobkk.org . Rojana Manowalailao is a media and communications officer at Unesco Bangkok and can be reached at m.rojana@ unescobkk.org .

http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/education/21077/a-marter-thailand-through-ict