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The Development and Integration of Information Technology
in Elementary and Secondary Education in China
Rongliang Wang
Abstract
With the development of information technology globally, China has been moving rapidly to improve the use of information technology in elementary and secondary schools, progressing in stages from offering basic computer programming courses to creating networked schools with information technology integrated into the whole curriculum. By 2003, in the developed regions of the country, which have good access to ICT infrastructure, 70 percent of teachers applied information technology to their classes often.
In the Tenth Five Year Plan (From 2001 to 2005), the Chinese government gave priority to the construction of information technology infrastructure. By 2003 the ratio of elementary school students to computers was 12:1 in the most developed regions and 373:1 in the least developed. At the high school level the range was from 8:1 to 18:1. One goal is to equalize educational opportunities across the geographic regions, which now vary greatly in the quantity and quality of their educational resources. As part of this education improvement initiative, the central government will undertake a number of programs, including an ICT development project in village schools, aimed at improving staff development, school management, and instructional quality and efficiency.
In 2003, 70 percent of China's teachers were able to use office application software and 30 percent were able to use webpage software. According to the new teacher training plan, normal universities will make full use of face-to-face education and distance education to lay the groundwork for improved instructional resources and form an instructional network for village and city teachers. Those regions which have been well equipped with computers and school networks will develop network training and TV training. The purpose of these efforts is to effect modernization in education, meaning the improvement of educational efficiency and effectiveness and the promotion of more learner-centered instruction.
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