Introduction
E-education is a focus area in 88% of the national information and communication technology (ICT) strategies surveyed, according to Information and Communications for Development, Global Trends and Policies, published by World Bank in 2006. The principle objective of this focus is e-literacy, which contains basic computer and application skills, such as using spreadsheets and surfing the Web. The E-literacy program could be implemented in both formal and informal education systems, from primary, secondary school to higher education, as well as in adult community training centers.
In 2000, the Internet usage rate in China was 1.8 % per 100 people; by 2006, it rose to 10.4%. The average international Internet bandwidth is 2 bits per person in China, but it rose to 57 bits in 2004, which even exceeds the average 52 bits of East Asian and Pacific region. In 2006, it climbed to 196 bits per person (World Bank Study). One noticeable factor of the statistic above is that it might be different between fast-growth wealthy urban regions and agriculture-dominant rural areas, notably western China.
Another interesting phenomenon the study points out is that income levels partly dictate the e-education priorities of countries. Only low- and middle- income countries have a high percentage of interventions, and assert the need to advance e-education in their e-strategies. For example, according to the study of the World Bank, Mozambique plans to use a program similar to the International Center for Distance Learning (ICDL) to meet the needs of the public and private sector for professionals with appropriate technical skills.
World Bank's study also suggested that high-income economies tend to lack focus on telecenters. Such services are in less demand in these countries because affordable, basic local telecommunications infrastructure is already available. E-strategies from high-income countries focus on the deployment of ubiquitous broadband to households. In China's case, with its imbalance development between urban and rural areas, it is important to look at the government's ICT strategy.
ICT Situation in China - Highly Developed Cities and Low Bandwidth Rural Areas
In China, the growth rate of rural Internet users was 127% in 2007, but the
penetration rate of the Internet was only 7.1%, while it was 27.3% in urban areas. The CNNIC studyindicates that, although the Internet spread to villages and townships rapidly, the infrastructure hasn't improved in rural areas. ICT infrastructure has grown rapidly and Internet usage has increased since 2000; however, it is noticeable that the statistic might depict the improvement mostly in urban regions, which have the most of China's Internet users.
The CNNIC study also indicates that 48.5% of the rural Internet users access the Internet at local Internet cafés. Therefore, it is important for the government of China to put emphasis on ICT infrastructure as well as implementing e-literacy programming in order to alleviate the possible ICT knowledge gap between the urban and rural areas.
The objective of the government's e-strategy is to accelerate e-literacy programs in its formal education system, however, government intervention limits HR/teacher training and other sectors. And there is no statistic available concerning Internet connectivity in rural areas and schools in China. In effect, there are some e-literacy programs implemented by nongovernmental organizations and private businesses which might serve as other means for rural dwellers to approach e-education.
BACK to Online Adaptation
Sources:
2006 Information & Communications for Development-Global Trends and Policies
CNNIC Study
James Fallows, How the West was Wired
Relevant Websites:
China Inernet Netwok Information Center
Town and Talent Technologies(Chinese)
Town and Talent Technologies (English)
The West China Story (Chinese)
Sample Story 1 (Chinese)
Sample Story 2 (Chinese)
Videos:
Yellow Sheep River
Internet Village
