Academic literature on the topic 'ICT in education policy'

In developing countries, ICT is playing an important role in economic growth and nation-building. New emerging technological changes have made services enabled by ICT a pre-requisite for development of the education sector because it enables teachers, students and administrators to share and exchange information and knowledge. ICT is vital for the sustainable development of education particularly in developing countries like Tanzania where awareness and development is taking place after independence. On the guidelines of World Bank and UNESCO, many developing countries have formulated and implemented ICT Policy for education. To this course, several initiatives have been designed, devised and developed by the Government of Tanzania. The ICT Policy for Basic Education (2007) is a set of guidelines desired to position Tanzania at the universal level for which education is being implemented with concerted efforts for pre-primary, primary, secondary and vocational education. One of the major motivations for drawing this policy has been the desire to transform Tanzania from a knowledge driven society to information and digital driven society. This article delves the role played by ICT in the education sector particularly at the primary level and brings out the objectives, issues, and challenges in basic education that have been done so far in Tanzania. Although significant improvements have taken place in Tanzania, a lot more has to be done in primary level of education if it needs to compete favourably at an African and international stage.

The decision on harnessing ICT in school education can pursue as a primary objective the acquaintance of students with ICT, the reduction of the costs of the education or the improvement of the educational results. Governments should consider ICT policies and programs on the Harnessing ICT in education as policies and programs for the school transformation. The focus areas include learning with ICT when suitable; teaching with ICT when suitable; developing a culture of ICT-promoted educational changes; building digital infrastructure to promote learning and teaching. The main issues and recommendations for each area are presented.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy is a code that clarifies the duties, responsibilities and rights of technology stakeholders and specifies acceptable and efficient ICT utilization. ICT policy is very fluid and rooted in a fast changing technology generating new issues and requirements. The study of ICT policy requires the organization to continuously adapt without having to make dramatic structural changes and with keeping long term focus. ICT policy life cycle encompasses four main processes which are: development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In many cases, the processes that form the life cycle of ICT policy usually stopped or failed at starting phase(s), including the case study in this research. Failures in ICT policy management may compromise ICT security, control and strategy in addition to incurring unnecessary expense. This study explored the challenges and issues in managing ICT policy in one of the Malaysian Public Institutions of Higher Education. An in-depth analysis and elaboration is performed using Viable System Model (VSM) and Hermeneutics method to diagnose and identify weaknesses, mismatches and viable requirements. The case documented here underlines the vast potential of the VSM in ICT policy analysis due to its flexibility and robustness that are a prerequisite in fast-changing environments. The evidence documented here represents the power of VSM through the application of its systemic functions and organizational structure that accommodates environmental dynamism, encourages sustainable development and provides sound theoretical platform. The paper demonstrates practical application of the VSM in diagnosing the organization that contribute towards the maturation of the field.

The aim of this study of ICT policy in K-12 education in Sudan is to investigate the status of planning for technologyin education and then determine how the advantage of ICT can best serve the educational system and improveeducational outcomes. The study examined two plans for ICT in education, addition to an interview with theeducational planning manager, and information center of federal ministry of general education, and other documentsfrom the ministry of education, as well as recommendations of previous studies which emphasized the need forpolicy to be compatible with other countries may face semi conditions of Sudan, and importance of compatible withUNESCO declarations (Incheon& Qingdao, 2015). The results of this study showed the need for policy emphasis onusing technology in education, K-12 education in Sudan requires better technology equipment, inclusive ICT policyincludes primary and secondary education need to formulate. The study also suggests that evaluation and assessmentare required in order to get more effective solutions and cope with the international educational progress of ICT inK-12 education.

Educational policy enactment is a matter of policy translation. A Latourian sociomaterial perspective is proposed to challenge traditional policy implementation frameworks. We offer analytical tools to trace processes of policy translation in practice settings as entanglements of human agents, material actants and activities. The analytical strategy is deployed in the case of three Colombian higher education institutions working with ICT policies for teacher development. The cases show that agency is distributed among different entities constituting assemblages that enact policies in unexpected pathways. Equally, in all these cases routine activities or unobserved artifacts were key to trace such translations of policies. Our analysis and findings provide a critical review of hermeneutics of policies, one of the dimensions of Stephen Ball´s policy enactment theory. In doing so, a more nuanced understanding of policy enactment is achieved, contributing both theoretically and methodologically in the analysis of education policies in Latin America.

The high use of web systems in learning implies that e-learning is becoming a common successful learning method in wider academic contexts. In order to enhance and support schooling and literacy, e-learning includes leveraging information and communication technology (ICT). The purpose of the analysis was to determine the correlation between e-learning and the academic achievement of students in higher learning. A set of 150 author’s observational studies, carried in Russian educational institutions (both in the period before and during the COVID-19pandemic), was used to measure findings using Cohen’s formula focused on a rigorous sampling method. The findings of the equation (= 0.712) reveal that ICT has a major statistically favourable effect on the academic success of students in elearning. The results suggest that ICT has a substantial positive effect on the total success of students in universities.

In recent years and as a result of the increasing pace of advances in technology and especially developments in the use of ICT in schools, teachers are now expected to make routine use of ICT in their teaching. This research sought to obtain deeper insight into Saudi secondary school teachers' ICT usage and its relation with ICT educational policy, teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards the use of ICT in the teaching and learning process, and their envisions of possible and preferable usage of ICT in education in the future. The study utilised a sociocultural approach: data was collected via interviews and self completed questionnaires. A total of 14 interviews were conducted with teachers, ICT coordinators and head teachers, and 266 teachers drawn from ten secondary schools in Riyadh City completed the questionnaire. The findings indicate there is widespread use of ICT in secondary schools and most teachers have positive views towards ICT. Teachers pointed to a number of motivators summarised in this formula: internal incentives + school encouragement = competent ICT use in education. Three main factors were found to be hindering teachers' ICT use: time constraints, lack of training, and financial issues. Teachers’ ICT use is guided by policies: the research found that teachers’ ICT use is more influenced by schools’ policy than Ministry of Education policy which they are either unaware of or do not fully understand because of difficulties in implementing it. Finally, teachers anticipated future changes in their role to a facilitator and advisor. Teachers hoped for comprehensive improvement of education, radical curriculum change, and continuous teacher training.

Many governments across the world have invested a lot of resources in information and communication technology (ICT) development with an aim to enhance teaching and learning using technology in schools. New educational ICT policy issues emerged and new patterns of ICT related practices are observable in education. This initiative has necessitated the development of National ICT Policies that will guide the implementation process in schools. Namibia has adopted the National ICT policy for Education in 2005 and the National ICT Policy Implementation Plan in 2006. Since the adoption no study was done to evaluate the implementation process, especially in rural schools where the teaching has been proven difficult. This study evaluates the implementation of the National ICT Policy for Education in Namibian rural junior secondary schools, especially in science classrooms. The thesis is a mixed methods study, undertaking survey and case studies. The study was conducted in the three educational regions, namely, Ohangwena; Oshana; and Oshikoto in Northern Namibia were 163 schools were sampled. The purpose of the study was to describe how ICT is being implemented in science classrooms and also explore factors that affect ICT implementation in rural schools. The study’s findings indicate that the rural schools in Namibia are in the initial phase of ICT implementation. ICT use and pedagogical use is low due to lack of professional development courses, pedagogical support and lack of ICT related resources. However, the few schools with high pedagogical use of ICT have shown an entrepreneurial leadership style and vision of the science teachers. The relational analysis suggests three main predictors of ICT implementation in rural schools. These findings were confirmed through case studies of successful schools. In addition, the findings were legitimised by the participants of the ICT use conference. The Kennisnet model (2009) was adopted and adapted as a conceptual framework for this study. The Howie model (2002) provided the frame within which the structure of input, process and outcome could be identified. The data was consistent with the adapted Kennisnet model (2009) and added five more constructs namely, entrepreneurial leadership, science curriculum goals, entrepreneurial science teachers’ vision, general use of ICT. The general use of ICT and attitudes of the science teachers influences the pedagogical use of ICT as added to the Howie model (2002). The results of this research suggest ways to improve the pedagogical use of ICT in rural schools; enable policymakers to make informed decision about resource allocation to the rural schools; and on teacher professional development in order to improve the current rural situation regarding ICT use.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
unrestricted

This study investigates ICT in Saudi HE as represented by the researcher’s own institution: King Saud University (KSU). Using a naturalistic approach in pursuing the inquiry and making use of mixed methods, the research questions were investigated using surveys and in-depth interviews. A convenient sample of the University’s stakeholders; namely the senior managers, the academic staff and the students were investigated and asked to explain the process of ICT adoption and deployment on the management level; their use and adoption of ICT in their personal and professional activities and elaborate on the ICT adoption process at KSU and compare it to that of other universities. They also related these experiences to the University’s plans and efforts in this regard. The findings indicated a boom in ICT adoption over the course of the recent years. However, this process did not follow a clear strategic plan. Rather, it was based on an administrative decision by the recently appointed KSU management. The rector’s positive attitude and belief in ICT played a role in this process. The study showed that KSU administration values ICT and views it as a means for the University to achieve its aims. The results also showed the increasing use of ICT among the three groups in the study both on personal and professional levels. While these professional purposes may differ between the three groups in this research, results indicate that there is an increasing implementation of ICT in the daily work of all the groups, both in and out of KSU. These uses are also supported by the positive attitudes all the stakeholders hold towards ICT, as the study indicated. The study also revealed the aspiration of both KSU and Higher Education System in the country in general, and the role that ICT is perceived to play in helping them to achieve these aspirations. Results indicated that the current state of ICT in Saudi HE is increasing when compared to that of other universities and countries, especially in terms of hardware implementation. Although it was not possible to achieve specific comparisons between Saudi universities due to lack of data and access, many different comparison points were pointed and elaborated on both nationally and internationally. Finally, the study revealed many ICT enablers in the Saudi HE system, such as the generous financial support provided by the government, the positive attitudes, and the changing role of the university, as well as the technical, administrative and sociocultural barriers facing more ICT integration in Saudi HE, and how KSU dealt with these opportunities and threats. Based on the results, implications for future research were elicited and recommendations for better practice were provided. The urgent need for a clear ICT strategic plan for KSU as well as the other Saudi universities seems inevitable. A need for clear benchmarks within this plan is an important indicator of the need for the institution to evaluate the process. Of importance concern is the fact that these plans need to include all the stakeholders in the planning phase so as to properly conduct the assessment, implementation and evaluation successfully.

This study, entitled 'An analysis of ICT policy development and practice in teacher education in Kenya between 1997 and 2007', is a qualitative study that uses a historical interpretive approach involving documentary analysis, interviews and case 'studies, to document the evolution of ICT policies relevant to teacher education in post independence Kenya, and explore the practices among teachers and teacher educators with ICT between 1997 and 2007. It examines the policy- practice relationship in the context of teacher education. The thesis draws from the work of Elmore and also Fullan to understand the change process with educational ICT policies. Not much research has been done in this area in Kenya and this study is therefore a useful contribution to the body of knowledge on leT policy development and practice in teacher education in developing country contexts. The ICT policy process for teacher education in Kenya takes place in a 4-Tier framework that involves international organisations at Tier 1, the Ministry of Education, other ministries and associated bodies at Tier 2, private or public sector organisations at Tier 3, and pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes at Tier 4. There is lack of co-ordination within and between these Tiers, which results in varied practices that portray differential understandings and interpretations of policy in regard to the place of ICT in teacher education.

This research study focuses on impacts of globalisation and the awareness of Higher Education policy Reform HEPR on the Information and Communications Technology for public universities using the University of Tripoli (UoT). The aim of this study therefore is to explore the impact of globalisation and the awareness of implementation of HEPR on the use of ICT in Libyan public Universities (LPUs). This is an important subject since the Libyan state has begun to ensure that ICT is adopted and used in University education. It has undertaken this course of action in order to improve the role of public universities and to further the movement towards sustainable development. This study was designed to contribute to the research development and improvement of ICT adoption in Libyan Higher Education. The main contribution of this study is to provide information on how to make full use of ICT in LPUs and to determine to what extent these universities adopt and us. Given the nature of this research a qualitative content analysis was adopted to collect and analyse the data and present the findings which gathered via sixteen semi-structured interviews, that were conducted with forty-four graduate students, ten academic staff from UoT and six Higher Education Officials from Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) . The findings of this study indicated that the globalisation and the awareness of implementation of HEPR are the most important factors for the adoption and use of ICT by the participants, and globalisation together with HEPR seems gradually to be changing impact and driving adoption, and use of new ICT among LPUs. It is changing the very fundamentals of learning and teaching. The findings also show that the rapid pace of globalisation and the increase level of the awareness of implementation HEPR, which has a significant potential to motivate participants, may lead to increased adoption and the effective use of ICT in LPUs. Based on the findings, this study offers the following recommendations that can be used to improve and support the adoption and use of ICT tools in the LPUs. These included supporting graduate students, and academic staff in developing their knowledge and skills in using ICT tools, providing a continuous professional development for them in ICT, the need to create a policy in higher education to guide the use of ICT tools in higher education and supporting universities to build their ICT resources and infrastructure. These will help graduate students and academic staff to effectively integrate ICT tools into teaching learning and administrative it also recommended that future research should be conducted with larger samples across different levels of education or with other organisations and other time periods.

This thesis is primarily concerned with the effects of education for future teachers in the context of the Swedish teacher training (Government Bill 1999/2000:135 2000). It belongs to a theoretical tradition in which the education system is viewed as a key factor in cultural production and reproduction in educational practices through symbolic control (Apple 2009; Ball 2006; Bernstein 2000, 2003). Symbolic control defines how forms of social interaction affect what is possible to think, say and do in different situations. The thesis is focused specifically on student mathematics teachers learning to become teachers of mathematics. It has a particular focus on the materials used in this, the meanings given to these materials and the identities produced through the possible embodiment of these meanings. The use of different educational technologies, including in particular ICT, has been of special interest. It aims therefore to understand both how mathematical discourses are produced and reproduced in teacher education and how this colours student teachers’ views on mathematics and their professional identity (Bernstein 2000, 2003; Valero 2007). The main outcomes of my thesis are that through the way that mathematics is taught and learned, mathematics teacher education in practice reproduces traditional ways of teaching and learning. This in that mathematics instruction is built around a ritualized practice based on the ability to solve exercises related to an examined-textbook-based content. ICT use in this context is not transformative. Rather it seems as if teaching and learning with digital technology operate as a relay in the reproduction of traditional forms of education practice. This is contrary to the intentions to renew and revitalise mathematics education and the thesis thus suggests that there is a need to scrutinize the way new technology is formulated in official discourses and appropriated in educational work. Two other things are also noteworthy in the thesis findings. The first is an increased emphasis on formal subject content through recent policy developments. This re-emphasis reaffirms the value of authoritative subject studies content as the central and most important component in the professional knowledge base. On the basis of the finding from the thesis the logic of the reform may be questioned. Also important is the ICT discourse that is constituted in wider society by selected agents. In this discourse digital technology often in many ways defines (post)modern society and the position it and education have as a driving force toward economic competitiveness. An alternative, more reflexive and critical approach where questions about technology uses in education are emphasized is suggested as necessary.
Disputationen äger rum fredagen den 4 maj 2012, kl. 13.15, Sal Gamma, Hus Svea, IT Fakulteten, Forskningsgången 4, Lindholmen

The purpose of this study was to compare Turkey and the European Union (EU) regarding aspects (use, self-confidence and attitude) of students&rsquo
information and communication technologies (ICT), the relationships between ICT aspects and mathematical and problem solving literacy performances, and to understand education policy makers&rsquo
perceptions on ICT in Turkey. A multimethod (quantitative and qualitative) research design was used in this study. Country groups &ndash
an EU member group, a new EU member group and Turkey- were formed on the basis of the status of a country in the EU, and that of having ICT data in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003. This study has three focuses. The first focus of the present study was to examine similarities and differences in ICT use, self-confidence in ICT and attitudes toward computers in students from Turkey and the EU. The sample of this focus was those students from the EU member group (N=56,610), the new EU member group (N=24,834) and Turkey (N=3,231) who participated in the PISA 2003. Multivariate analysis of covariance - controlling students&rsquo
economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) and attitudes toward computers- and univariate analysis of covariance -controlling ESCS- were conducted to see whether students&rsquo
ICT aspects differ across country groups. The first focus of the present study indicated that Turkish students have lower self-confidence in using computer and the Internet and they use the Internet less frequently than students in the EU. Contrary to this, the findings of this focus revealed that Turkish students have relatively more positive attitudes toward computers and they use program/software more frequently than do students in the EU. The second focus of the present study was to model the relationships among ICT factors and mathematical and problem solving literacy performances of Turkish and the EU students. The sample of this focus was those students from the EU member group (N=57,787), the new EU member group (N=25,359) and Turkey (N=3,590) who participated in the PISA 2003. The proposed path analytic models were separately tested for each country group. The second focus revealed that students&rsquo
socioeconomic and cultural status and selfconfidence in routine computer tasks have positive and medium level relationships with their mathematical and problem solving literacy performances, for all country groups. Furthermore, students&rsquo
self-confidence in Internet tasks had a positive and low level relationship with these performances for all country groups. On the other hand, it was found that students&rsquo
frequency of computer and Internet use and their self-confidence in high-level computer tasks have generally negative and small relationships with these literacy performances in all country groups. The third focus aimed to investigate education policy makers&rsquo
perceptions of the ICT policy making and implementation process in Turkey, and their evaluations of the findings of the quantitative phase of this study. The participants of this focus consisted of seven education policy makers from the Ministry of National Education and universities in Turkey. The data, collected with interviews, were content-analyzed by coding data, identifying, and relating the categories and sub-categories, that is, open, axial and selective coding were conducted respectively. In the third focus of the present study, participants specified the primary issues of ICT policy making and the implementing process in Turkey and made suggestions on these issues. Participants frequently related the findings of the quantitative phase of this study to the economic, social and cultural status of students.

Teacher education occupies a position between the school system and higher education. It is expected to both have an impact on the school system and to be influenced by it. Compared to other higher education programs, teacher education has more often been subject to government control and detailed regulation. This thesis deals with the various roles and functions ascribed to teacher education in its complex position within the educational system, and above all its relationship with the school system. The objective of the thesis is to increase knowledge on government policy, with regard to teacher education, and frames within which the policy is developed, that in turn creates the framework for teacher education.    The issues outlined above are processed through two sub-studies. The first sub-study deals with these issues in a general and historical perspective. The second sub-study is focused on a specific content (ICT) in initiatives for teacher education reforms. By analyzing arguments put forward in government policy from a curriculum theory perspective the thesis shows that teacher education throughout the whole review period was considered to mainly benefit and serve the school system. However, the significance attached to this service varies. Generally two trails are highlighted. The first involves the teacher education service of delivering the teachers that the school system requires in order to live up to expectations of today. The other definition of working in the service of the school system is to contribute to a future-oriented development of the current school system. In many cases these perspectives are combined but the trend in the period reviewed in this study is that the first definition, to work in the service of the contemporary school system, has been accorded ever greater prominence.

In the research presented in the monograph, a theoretical analysis of the essence, nature and genesis of patriotic education is carried out, the content, role and features of patriotic education in society are revealed, state and regional policy as the foundation and means of patriotic education is studied, priority directions of state and regional policy on patriotic education are determined, alternative functional models of patriotic education are considered, an integrative model of patriotic education is conceptually profiled and empirically specified. The book is intended for managers and employees of state and municipal administration bodies, specialists and experts in patriotic education. It is also addressed to teachers of higher and secondary specialized educational institutions, researchers of academic institutes and research centers. It will be useful for students of higher educational institutions studying in social and humanitarian specialties.

This study presents the rationale for policy and institutional frameworks in the development of ICT in secondary education in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As the adoption of modern ICTs slowly gain momentum, various stakeholders in education have recognized the importance of leveraging these technological tools for the improvement of teaching and learning. To a large extent, the application of modern ICTs in education remains uncoordinated in many countries. This study identifies the institutional framework as the dominant approach to ICT in education policy process in the region. This involves the participation of broad-based interest groups in the policy process. Using South Africa as a case study, the study presents elements of ICT in education policy as well as policy lessons that would enable African countries use ICTs for productive educational outcomes.

This paper explores factors such as socio-demographics, income and wealth and e-skills that may influence the adoption of the ICTs at the individual level. We examine to what extent these factors contribute to the digital divide between different social groups in Serbia. We use the panel data from the survey “ICT usage in Republic of Serbia” in 2006 and 2007, covering over 3000 individuals/households, to perform a quantitative analysis of the digital divide and ICT adoption. Based on a classification tree and a logistic regression model, a profile of the typical ICT adopter and non-adopter is identified. The empirical results show the following: (i) the digital divide between age group 55-74 and those younger that 55 slightly increased in 2007 in case of regular Internet use; (ii) at the individual level the ICT adoption (use of PC, Internet and mobile phones) in Serbia is mainly influenced by the income and wealth of an individual, its computer and Internet skills and age; (iii) this result is quite robust across the methodological approaches used; and (iv) the classification tree approach is preferable since it gives the same predictive accuracy as the logistic regression with a more parsimonious model. The policy implications of these results are discussed.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) encompassing computer and network hardware and software, and so on, as well as various services and applications associated with them, are assuming a growing presence within the modern homestead and have an indelible impact on the professional and everyday life of people. This research aims to explore factors influencing the successful adoption and usage of ICTs within Polish households. Based on prior literature and practical experiences, a framework of success factors is provided. The required data was collected from a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of Polish households to examine this framework and identifies which factors are of greatest importance for the adoption and usage of ICTs within households in Poland. Based on 751 questionnaires the paper indicates that the adoption of ICTs within households is mainly influenced by the economic status of households and cost of ICTs, perceived economic benefits from the usage of ICTs, technological availability and security of ICTs, ICT competences and awareness, as well as satisfaction with the adoption of ICTs. Furthermore, gender, education, and place of residence do not reflect significant differences on the factors. Yet, there are significant differences among the factors that could be attributed to age. Both, policy makers and ICT providers can benefit from the findings with regard to bridging the gap of ICT adoption and use in the Polish households.

The focus of the paper is information and communications technology (ICT) solutions in hybrid information systems in a local government unit. As the exemplary local government unit, the social welfare center (Ośrodek Pomocy Społecznej, or “OPS”) in Polkowice, Poland, was chosen. After a brief introduction, problem statement, goal of study, research questions and methodology, the issue of how ICT supports managers in the decision-making process is presented. The policy regarding ICT plays a crucial role in developing new tools; therefore, the section titled “ICT policy regarding to local government units” is devoted to this. Reasons why ICT solutions in local government units are not fully integrated are discussed. The model of a fully integrated system for local government units is next discussed, followed by a short conclusion.

The applications of the Information, Education and Communication approaches to all sectors have brought unexpected changes in the attitudes and behaviours of people of all ages. The overwhelming amount of theoretical and empirical work done regarding the impact of ICT on educational processes has highlighted the benefits of ICT to students, teachers, and parents. Mauritius is faced with a double dilemma: the positive value of information technologies, on the one hand, and the potentialities and possibilities of the negative impact on the life of people on the other. This paper aims to gauge the impact of the ICT, IEC and IT on the Mauritian population confronted with the issues related to the access to information through the technological advances the world has been exposed to. It is also to draw the attention of policy-makers of the need to consider the “digital opportunity” and its influence on the Mauritian population.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in educational contexts has focused its greatest efforts on the acquisition and use of technology. This makes necessary a conceptual and methodological redesign of its use, one that integrates all the members of the organization and generate permanent changes in the culture of the organization (Salinas, 2005). The management of educational institutions is crucial to normalize experiences and provide references that can be integrated into environmental conditions. Despite this, educational management has been relegated to the studies of innovation in education supported by technology, with little systematized information in this regard (Sunkel, Trucco, & Espejo, 2013). The present work uses bibliographic techniques to analyze the trends that have been followed in Latin America in terms of educational management for the adoption of ICT. The influence of public policy on the promotion of these programs is observed, as well as the need for a theoretical methodological support for the development of an integral management model, in which the technology component does not constitute a parallel item.

This report supports an evidence-based approach to the prevention and education objective of the National Strategy to Reduce Harm from Gambling. Applying a public health policy lens, it considers three levels of measures: universal (for the benefit of the whole population), selective (for the benefit of at-risk groups), and indicated (for the benefit of at-risk individuals). Six measures are reviewed by drawing upon a range of evidence in the academic and grey literature. The universal level measures are “Regulatory restriction on how gambling is provided” and “Population-based safer gambling/responsible gambling efforts.” Selective measures focus on age cohorts in a chapter entitled, “Targeted safer gambling campaigns for children, youth, and older adults.” The indicated measures are “Brief internet delivered interventions for gambling,” “Systems and tools that produced actual (‘hard’) barriers and limit access to funds,” and “Self-exclusion.” Since the quantity and quality of the evidence base varied by measure, appropriate review methods were selected to assess publications using a systematic, scoping, or narrative approach. Some measures offered consistent findings regarding the effectiveness of interventions and initiatives, while others were less clear. Unintended consequences were noted since it is important to be aware of unanticipated, negative consequences resulting from prevention and education activities. After reviewing the evidence, authors identified knowledge gaps that require further research, and provided guidance for how the findings could be used to enhance the prevention and education objective. The research evidence is supplemented by consultations with third sector charity representatives who design and implement gambling harm prevention and education programmes. Their insights and experiences enhance, support, or challenge the academic evidence base, and are shared in a separate chapter. Overall, research evidence is limited for many of the measures. Quality assessments suggest that improvements are needed to support policy decisions more fully. Still, opportunities exist to advance evidence-based policy for an effective gambling harm prevention and education plan.

This paper traces the origins of today’s campaigns for school vouchers and other modes of public funding for private education to efforts by Milton Friedman beginning in 1955. It reveals that the endgame of the “school choice” enterprise for libertarians was not then—and is not now--to enhance education for all children; it was a strategy, ultimately, to offload the full cost of schooling onto parents as part of a larger quest to privatize public services and resources. Based on extensive original archival research, this paper shows how Friedman’s case for vouchers to promote “educational freedom” buttressed the case of Southern advocates of the policy of massive resistance to Brown v. Board of Education. His approach—supported by many other Mont Pelerin Society members and leading libertarians of the day --taught white supremacists a more sophisticated, and for more than a decade, court-proof way to preserve Jim Crow. All they had to do was cease overt focus on race and instead deploy a neoliberal language of personal liberty, government failure and the need for market competition in the provision of public education.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.

How can education in Aotearoa New Zealand respond to climate change? This report, part of our wider education and climate change project, outlines findings from 17 in-depth interviews with individuals with a range of viewpoints about climate change and the role of education. Five priority perspectives are covered: youth (aged 16–25); educators; Māori; Pacific New Zealanders; and people with an academic, education system, or policy perspective. Key findings are: Education offers an important opportunity for diverse children and young people to engage in positive, solutions-focused climate learning and action. Interviewees shared local examples of effective climate change educational practice, but said it was often down to individual teachers, students, and schools choosing to make it a focus. Most interviewees said that climate change needs to be a more visible priority across the education system. The perspectives and examples shared suggest there is scope for growth and development in the way that schools and the wider education system in Aotearoa New Zealand respond to climate change. Interviewees’ experiences suggest that localised innovation and change is possible, particularly when young people and communities are informed about the causes and consequences of climate change, and are engaged with what they can do to make a difference. However, effective responses to climate change are affected by wider systems, societal and political structures, norms, and mindsets. Interviewee recommendations for schools, kura, and other learning settings include: Supporting diverse children and young people to develop their ideas and visions for a sustainable future, and to identify actions they can take to realise that future. Involving children and young people in collective and local approaches, and community-wide responses to climate change. Scaffolding learners to ensure that they were building key knowledge, as well as developing ethical thinking, systems thinking, and critical thinking. Focusing on new career opportunities and pathways in an economic transition to a low-carbon, changed climate future. Getting children and young people engaged and excited about what they can do, rather than disengaged, depressed, or feeling like they have no control of their future.