Globalization and rapid technological change have made knowledge a critical determinant of competitiveness in the world economy. The World Bank is playing an important role in assisting countries in taking advantage of the opportunities in information and communications technologies (ICTs) to contribute to education goals and poverty reduction strategies. With globalization, the information revolution, and increasing demands for a highly skilled work force, it is clear that nations must accord high priority to building the capacity to effectively utilize technology in education.

The World Bank recognizes the critical importance of effectively utilizing new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to meet the growing need for a more sophisticated labor force, manage information systems, and contribute to poverty reduction around the world. Indeed, the vast majority of active World Bank education projects contain an ICT component. Support for ICT in education includes assistance for equipment and facilities; teacher training and support; capacity building; educational content; distance learning; digital literacy; policy development; monitoring and evaluation; and media outreach.

The World Bank works in partnership with governments and organizations worldwide to support innovative projects, timely research and knowledge sharing activities related to the effective and appropriate use of ICTs in education.

FAQ: What does the World Bank's new Education Sector Strategy (ESS2020, released April 2011) imply for investments in ICT in education? 

Given the much wider use of ICT in the workplace, a person’s facility for using technology is fast becoming a basic competency. The use of ICT in education offers a clear promise for accelerating learning, especially if countries draw on the global lessons highlighted in the ESS2020 background note on ICT and education [pdf]. At present, because ICT initiatives in developing countries have been focused much more on supplying schools with computers and Internet connectivity than on integrating technology into curricula at all education levels, ICT has so far largely failed to realize its promise as a twenty-first–century pedagogical tool. Moreover, the potential uses of ICT in education are not limited to the classroom. ICT can also allow much better and more timely monitoring of the various dimensions of a national education system and is therefore a valuable tool for implementing a system approach to education reform. For example, ICT can lower the cost of implementing student learning assessments and can better link those assessment results to both teacher development and the allocation of education resources. ICT can also make it much easier to supply up-to-date information on teacher professional development programs to prospective trainees, as well as enable learning opportunities outside of formal school settings.