The purpose of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects Book Series is to meet the needs of those interested in an in-depth analysis of current developments concerning various aspects of education for the world of work with particular reference to technical and vocational education and training. The Series examines areas that are at the ‘cutting edge’ of the field and are innovative in nature. It presents best and innovative practice, explore controversial topics and uses case studies as examples.  The audience includes policy makers, practitioners, administrators, planners, researchers, teachers, teacher educators, students and colleagues in other fields interested in learning about TVET, in both developed and developing countries, countries in transition and countries in a post-conflict situation.  The Series complements the InternationalHandbook of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, with the elaboration of specific topics, themes and case studies in greater breadth and depth than is possible in the Handbook. Topics covered include: training for the informal economy in developing countries; education of adolescents and youth for academic and vocational work; financing education for work; lifelong learning in the workplace; women and girls in technical and vocational education and training; effectively harnessing ICT’s in support of TVET; planning of education systems to promote education for the world of work; recognition, evaluation and assessment; education and training of demobilized soldiers in post-conflict situations; TVET research; and, school to work transition. Book proposals for this series may be submitted to the Publishing Editor: Lawrence Liu E-mail: lawrence.liu@springer.com

Training for Work in the Informal Micro-Enterprise Sector: Fresh Evidence from Sub-Sahara Africa (Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects)

INTRODUCTIONThe importance of technology in education has drawn the attention of educationists since the beginning of the motion pictures in the early 20s, but computers were accessible to teachers and students only in the mid-70s when they were introduced in education (Brush T. cited in Hew, K. F. T* The Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) is in charge of general and technical secondary education;* The Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP) is in charge of University and professional higher education;* The Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFP) is in charge of vocational training for all school leavers to ease their integration into the social and professional world;* The Ministry of sports and physical education (MINSEP): is in charge of all youths sporting activities. …

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Integration of ICTs into the Curriculum of Cameroon Primary and Secondary Schools: A Review of Current Status, Barriers and Proposed Strategies for Effective Integration.

Bangladesh, a developing and third world country, recognized for its microcredit success, has a favourable political environment to achieve ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021. Government projects, publicprivate partnership projects, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and private initiatives for Information Communication Technology (ICT) for education are integrating telecenter models in secondary educational institutes. The three-fold objectives of these development projects are computer literacy for teachers and students, telecenter for community and access to better learning content or better learning. Little or no significant study had been conducted on the qualitative achievements of such projects traceable from early 2002. A secondary technical vocational education and training (TVET) institute of about 450 students in a village of about 5500 inhabitants is selected for a qualitative study using theories and methodologies adapted from different disciplines. This paper presents the plan for this action research to be conducted during August 2011 to December 2012 as part of the research project during September 2010 to June 2013. As proponent of ICT for development, the author considers the problems of rural inhabitants (78%) living on agrarian livelihood, electricity insufficiency (47% from nation grid), socio-economic class gap and bias, lower education vs. employment association (as education for sustainability) and low access to ICTs. These might resist the intended objective of ICT for development projects. With decrease of technology obsolescence period if the technology ‘domestication’ is not proportionately increased, the digital divide will intensify. Bridging the digital divide (in terms of ‘adaption’) will become far reaching. Thus, firstly, this paper reviews different theoretical dimensions to converge towards a qualitative ‘diffusion study’ focusing socio-economic context. Secondly, the problems faced in implementing ICT in secondary institutions and telecenters of disadvantageous communities are reported to construct the problem boundary. Finally, the author proposes an intensive study using three different approaches to identify a preferable methodology for higher ‘diffusion’ or ‘domestication’. Participatory Rural Assessment (PRA) will be used for identifying the achievement. Three different methodologies for diffusion include, firstly, smart class rooms and after-class telecenter model as part of a national pilot project; secondly, ICTs in co-curricular activities including self-learning and community teaching, ICT based academic administration; and thirdly, life and livelihood centred programs as part of telecentre. In Bangladesh context, TVET institutes’ students come from lower middle class or below. The motivation for these students is early employment or entrepreneurship with low capital investment. Unfortunately, TVET institutes seem to be victim of invisible bias in ICT expansion projects. Bangladesh Millennium Development Goal (MDG) progress report of 2009 shows downward index for employment. IT supports services personnel are mostly from TVET institutes. The study is expected to positively contribute and give a direction to achieve the goal using school-based telecentres.

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ICT in Education: Secondary Technical Vocational Education and Training Institute Centered Diffusion of Innovation in Rural Bangladesh

Man’s negative impact on the environment due to various activities has raised serious concerns with numerous campaigns rising to protect the environment. Computer waste also contributes to damaging not only the environment, but has serious consequences on human health resulting from pollution of the air, water and soil which are part of the ecosystem. With E-waste causing such problems and a challenge to developing nations which have been dumping grounds, the need to adopt green information technology (IT) is becoming more evident. In this paper, we recommend adoption of green IT education by schools, governments, organisations producing or shipping IT products and individuals consuming these technologies to work together in adopting green IT to reduce E-waste accumulation and hence eliminate the environmental and health implications of E-waste.

Is Green IT an Antidote to E-Waste Problems?

Man’s negative impact on the environment due to various activities has raised serious concerns with numerous campaigns rising to protect the environment. Computer waste also contributes to damaging not only the environment, but has serious consequences on human health resulting from pollution of the air, water and soil which are part of the ecosystem. With E-waste causing such problems and a challenge to developing nations which have been dumping grounds, the need to adopt green information technology [IT] is becoming more evident. In this paper, we recommend adoption of green IT education by schools, governments, organisations producing or shipping IT products and individuals consuming these technologies to work together in adopting green IT to reduce E-waste accumulation and hence eliminate the environmental and health implications of E-waste.

https://gssrr.org/index.php/JournalOfBasicAndApplied/article/download/9817/4300

I.T Dumping in Africa: How Green Technology Can Be an Antidote

Although with the overwhelming impact of new technologies globally, numerous factors still account for the setbacks in bridging the digital divide in developing nations. Cameroon has for several years been trailing in the employment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to facilitate learning and teaching in schools. Nevertheless, a number of ICT projects have been implemented in secondary schools which have helped to reduce this digital gap amongst students. We report on one of the pioneer projects, the Computer and Internet Access Centres (CIAC) project, implemented by the Association for Development, Communication and Environment (ADCOME), a non-governmental organisation with headquarters in the South West Region of Cameroon. We begin by looking at its history, implementation, successes, challenges and possible solutions.

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Calisus Taku

Papers

Closing the digital gap in Cameroonian secondary schools through the CIAC project