Organization of American States Summits of the Americas
 
Follow-up and Implementation: Mandates
 

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EDUCATION: Information Technology
MANDATES

  1. Accelerate digital government transformation and support the simplification of administrative procedures and modernization of public services, as well as strengthen the quality of digital literacy and digital citizenry, always taking into consideration the protection of citizens’ personal data. (Regional Agenda for Digital Transformation, IX Summit of the Americas, Los Angeles, 2022).

  1. To promote agreements for academic and scientific exchanges and the transfer of knowledge and technologies in order to impact the education sector, with a view to contributing to education and training processes to the fullest possible extent of respective national capacities. (Education, Initiatives VII Summit of the Americas, Panama City, 2015).

  1. We understand that the potential for developing the capacity of our citizenry and attaining greater productivity depends on a well-educated and well-trained labor force. In this sense, we recognize the advances made in increasing access to education and we reiterate the need to expand coverage, improve quality, strengthen the teaching profession, and improve the efficiency of our education systems. We reiterate the importance of incorporating new information and communication technologies in the training of our citizenry to increase their productivity (Declaration of Mar del Plata, 2005).

  1. To promote, within the framework of the OAS, the exchange of experiences for the implementation of electronic education programs articulating means, resources, and tools aimed at strengthening and enriching the educational processes in schools, including the use of new information and communication technologies. (Plan of Action Mar del Plata, 2005).

  1. Progress towards more democratic societies, growing economies and social equity relies on an educated citizenry and a skilled labor force. We have agreed to a series of policies to improve access to quality education through teacher training, education in civic values and the use of information technologies both in our classrooms and in measuring progress toward achieving these goals. Improved education policies and increased investment in our education systems will help reduce income disparities and close the digital divide in our Hemisphere (Declaration of Québec, 2001).

  1. Support and promote lifelong learning by:

    • offering varied curricula based on the development of skills, knowledge, civic and democratic values;
    • providing flexible service delivery mechanisms, including the use of information and communications technologies, to foster employability, personal growth and social commitment; and
    • certifying skills acquired on the job; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Enhance the performance of teachers by:

    • improving their conditions of service; and
    • raising the profile of the profession by providing, in addition to solid initial preparation, opportunities for ongoing professional development, and by designing accessible, flexible, dynamic and relevant training strategies using, among other means, new information and communications technologies; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Strive to ensure that secondary education is more responsive to evolving labor market requirements by promoting the diversification of programs and experimentation with new, more flexible teaching methods with emphasis on science and technology, including the use of new information and communications technologies, and by supporting the establishment of mechanisms for the recognition and certification of acquired skills; and to this end, promote the exchange of information and best practices and support cooperation projects; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Promote access by teachers, students and administrators to new information and communications technologies applied to education, through training geared toward new teaching approaches, support for development of networks and sustained strengthening of information clearinghouses, in order to reduce the knowledge gap and the digital divide within and between societies in the Hemisphere; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Strengthen preparation, education and training for the world of work so that an increasing number of workers can improve their standard of living and, together with employers, have the opportunity to benefit from hemispheric integration. In this regard, consideration will be given to the adoption of new technology based on different options and alternatives, ranging from specific occupational training to strengthening general employability competencies. Special attention will also be paid to the establishment or strengthening of mechanisms that permit workers to obtain certification of job-related competencies acquired through formal education and work experience. In order to confront changes in the labor market and to enhance employability prospects, actions that take into account the development of entrepreneurial skills will be included and will involve the different sectors and offer various options and alternatives. (Plan of Action Santiago, 1998).

  1. Promote access to and use of the most effective information and communication technologies in education systems, with special emphasis on the use of computers, in combination with revised pedagogical methods and proper training for teachers in the use of these technologies. Special attention shall be paid to the ethical imperative of including the most vulnerable sectors. To that end, distance education programs shall be strengthened and information networks established. (Plan of Action Santiago, 1998).

  1. Seek to use technology to link schools and communities as a way of establishing ties in the Hemisphere while encouraging the participation of higher education institutions that have advantages in this field. (Plan of Action Santiago, 1998).

  1. Further scholarship and exchange programs for students, teachers, researchers and educational administrators using different strategies, including institution-to-institution ties, communications technology and internships which permit exposure to pedagogical and management innovations in the other countries of the Hemisphere. This will contribute to strengthening the institutional capacity of Ministries or Departments of Education, decentralized administrative entities and centers of higher learning. (Plan of Action Santiago, 1998).

  • 16.5 Increase access to and strengthen the quality of higher education and promote cooperation among such institutions in producing the scientific and technological knowledge that is necessary for sustainable development. (Plan of Action Miami, 1994).

 

 

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