Below are specific strategies to achieve the ICT policy objectives for the education sector:

ICT Services

Identification and/or development of appropriate ICT for education, maintenance and support of ICT, ICT literacy, ICT integration, and distribution and delivery of ICT have been identified as priority areas within ICT services. In order to appropriately address these areas, the relevancy and suitability of curriculum for Namibian learners will be taken into consideration during the production of digital content; digital content will be further evaluated to assure the education community of its quality and relevance in relation to the national curriculum; a digital library will be created to enhance access to knowledge and information for every education consumer; web access will be made available; every education consumer will be entitled to an e-mail account in order to communicate efficiently; maintenance and support will be provided to ensure that all ICT labs and other ICT resources remain secure and working; digital security will be established to protect users, information, infrastructure, and resources; all educational sites will be connected to increase communication, and improve efficiency; support, orientation and training will be provided for all staff involved in integrating technologies into the teaching/learning process; ICT will be used to improve educational management systems by streamlining operations, monitoring performance, and improving the use of physical and human resources; and a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan will be created to measure, evaluate, and research the impact, effect and effectiveness of using ICT within the education community.

Staff Training

Different kinds and levels of training will be provided to educational staff and stakeholders in order to assist them in managing the changes in skills, attitudes, and understanding that the ICT Policy for Education requires. Pre- and in-service training will be mandatory for teachers and lecturers and will ensure that they are able to use ICT effectively and appropriately in their respective classroom environments. In addition to gaining a significant understanding of the role of ICT in education, Principals will be trained on the various management and administrative ICT systems. School advisors and inspectors will be trained in the effective use of ICT in schools. Administrative staff will be trained in basic troubleshooting and operations of computer systems. And, ICT trainers will be instructed in areas such as training delivery, performance evaluation, and monitoring the development of the trainee.

Curriculum and Performance Measures

Varying guidelines will be implemented for ICT literacy, ICT as a subject, and cross curricular ICT. Guidelines for ICT literacy skills by level of learning will be maintained. Basic ICT literacy will be necessary for all learners before finishing their secondary level education. Curriculum for Computer Studies and for Information Technology will be maintained for the explicit study of ICT, and a guidance document on the general use of ICT in all curriculum activities will be maintained. Performance measure will be taken for levels of basic ICT literacy in secondary schools, levels of confidence in using ICT for educational staff, levels of access to ICT resources for students and teachers, and usage of ICT to support teaching and learning.

National and Technical Standards

A National Standards Setting Body (NSSB) for ICT will be established to produce both competence and curriculum standards for the industry. The body will consist of members from the ICT industry, government, lobbying groups and higher education establishments. The Steering Committee for the ICT education policy will develop and maintain a list of technical standards for hardware and software that allow for reasonable interoperability (open standards), diversity, vendor independence, functionality, and value for the education community.

Societal Issues

HIV and AIDS

ICT will be utilised to access relevant and up-to-date information in the national effort to fight HIV and AIDS and will empower learners and teachers to be able to make informed decisions.

Gender

Development of ICT skills for women presents an opportunity for empowerment.

Youth

All young people will have some access to ICT facilities and will obtain basic ICT literacy training.

Special needs

Guidelines and resources to support people with special needs will be incorporated during the ICT curriculum development and budgeting process.

Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

There are already a number of publicly funded ODL institutions in Namibia. These institutions will continue to develop and implement programming both individually and under the designation of NOLNet, to ensure the use and integration of ICT in programme development and delivery.

Library, Community, Sport and Culture

The policy recommends that centres servicing both the formal and informal educational community should have an internet enabled ICT facility to support these educational activities.

Education Management

ICT will be utilised to improve management and administration of the educational system. Areas to be addressed include communication, finance and human resources, management information, school management, and records management.

Public, Private and Civil Partnerships

Linkages and partnerships with civil society, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), commercial interests, and the international community will be established to speed up implementation of the policy, to develop the Namibian ICT economy, and to reduce the burden on taxpayers. Vocational training establishments, especially in the private industry, will be encouraged to incorporate ICT throughout the curriculum and to ensure their trainees/students possess basic ICT literacy skills by the completion of their studies. Local educational ICT businesses and solution providers will be developed to create local employment rather than outsourcing to foreign solution and service providers.

Financing

Financial plans and budget will be comprehensive, including the total cost of ownership (TCO) of ICT. This will consist of the costs for the acquisition of hardware and software; installation and configuration; connectivity; maintenance; support, including supplies, utilities, and computer training; retrofitting of physical facilities; and replacement costs. The costs of increased teacher education, the establishment of an external network for teachers, and stimulus of software development will also be accounted for. Government will take the necessary steps to provide funding and encourage other sources of funding and involvement, such as industry sponsorship, local fund-raising initiatives, and community activities.