ICT or I see tea? Modernity, technology and education in Nepal

Abstract

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) for education in developing countries has been a subject of great interest and speculation, with its proponents arguing that ICT improves educational quality, develops critical thinking skills, expands access, increases economic competitiveness and facilitates inclusion in a rapidly expanding global information society. However, few of these claims have been verified from an empirical standpoint, leading to substantial criticism of the push to expand ICT. This article analyses how the global discourse on ICT in education has unfolded in Nepal, concentrating on educational policies on ICT and how these relate to a rather limited domain of practice. It argues that policies on ICT in education reveal an uneasy and fragmented engagement with the global discourse, while in practice its use is often innovative although so limited as to cause little substantive change. However, in both policy and practice the importance of ICT is more due its power as symbol of modernity and progress than any utilitarian value. KeywordsNepal, education, technology, ICT CorrespondenceSchool of Education, Bath Spa University, Newton St.-Loe, Bath BA2 9BD, United Kingdom Email: r.shields@bathspa.ac.uk BiographyRobin Shields' research investigates technology and information access in education and international development, with a regional specialisation in South Asia. He is a lecturer in education at Bath Spa University.

Implementation of Nepal's education policy in ICT: Examining current practice through an ecological model

“…There is a small body of writings related to the status and practice of ICT in education in Nepal. Several researchers (Dawadi & Shakya, ; Pangeni, ; Rennie & Mason, ; Shields, ) reported the expansion of internet infrastructures throughout Nepal and suggested that these should increase the possibility of e‐learning and enable school teachers to access the latest online information and so facilitate rural school students' education. However, Thapa and Saebo () reported that a lack of high‐quality internet, electricity, and supporting infrastructure are major challenges in Nepal's rural schools.…”

“…The National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2005 mandated that “ICT as a proven tool for educational transformation” should be used in instructional activities in schools (MoES, , p. 11). Shields () argued that, although the integration of ICT is constituted to meet the national education goal of public service and quality education, the terms proven and transformation in the curriculum are vague and offer no means of evaluating change. The School Sector Development Plan, 2016–23 stated that funding for equipping primary schools with ICT infrastructure is not available (MoE, ) and the ICT Policy, 2015 explicitly stated the government's intention to create public‐private partnerships to provide ICT infrastructure in government schools (MoIC, ).…”

Blending Online Digital Tools in Low Resourced Classrooms in Nepal

“…The use of technology has become another 'compass point' through which individuals (whether students, teachers or policy-makers) and institutions construct modern and progressive identities (Shields, 2011).Based on the observation of digital online tools, used in the low resourced classroom, the following basic tools were found to be used in common the teacher educators as a form of low resourced classroom as best practices in Nepal in the higher studies.…”

Federalisation and education in Nepal: contemporary reflections on working through change

“…Social inequalities have been exacerbated from the mid-twentieth century aided in no small part by a national education system that excluded minorities' cultures, religions and traditions. Schools and government privileged Nepali as a national language in an attempt to promote a sense of modern Nepal and national citizenship (Shields, 2011). The positioning of Nepali speaking Hindus at the top of a social hierarchy alienated and marginalised many other Nepali ethnic groups from education and political or civic participation (Parker and Standing, 2007;Shields, 2013).…”