Expertise Centre for Education & ICT’s in Suriname

The Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development SLO and the Suriname Institute for Teacher Training IOL started cooperation to improve Suriname’s education by the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Sofos Consultancy will support them. UTSN is the sponsor.

The Multi-Annual Development Plan 2006-2011 of the Government of Suriname states that its educational system needs further improvement in qualitative and quantitative sense. The numbers of dropouts and repeaters should decrease, especially in the interior. Teaching methods may be modernised, accessibility can be improved.

SLO and IOL have as shared vision that that ICTs could improve Suriname education considerably. It could become more attractive and motivating for the pupils. It can apply new didactics. It enables new ways of course delivery (distance edication). Together. SLO and IOL want to set-up and run a centre of expertise for education & ICTs in Suriname. It aims at supporting the field organisations, implementing new programmes and advising policy makers.

In the coming months Wim de Boer of SLO and Ton Wolf of IOL will study the feasibility of the proposed expertise centre. Pieter van der Hijden of Sofos Consultancy, active in e-learning both in Suriname and The Netherlands, will support them.  Through various conferences in Suriname they want to meet the fields and share their thoughts with as many stakeholders as possible. In March 2009 they will present their outcomes. The Dutch Suriname Twinning Agency UTSN sponsors their efforts.