Jakarta (Kompas: 15/09/06) Information and Communication technology could be used to broaden access to education to boost education quality and to curb disparity, to carry out teachers training with a more affordable price and relatively shorter time. Therefore, information and communication technology players – including the government, private sector, and the public – should show commitment to boost efforts to broaden access to information and communication technology for education.

This expectation was raised in a media executive forum for education held by the Sampoerna Foundation in Jakarta on Thursday (14/9). The forum was attended by Director General of Telematics Application at the Ministry of Communication and Information Cahyana Ahmad Jayadi, Head of the National Education Ministry Planning Bureau Gatot Hari Prowirjanto, Head of Indonesian Telematics Society Wigrantoro Roes Setyadi, and education observer Arief Rahman.

Cahyana explained, aside of modifying learning method, information and communication technology require students to master some new competencies. Besides basic capacities like reading, writing and counting, students are also required to be able to thing critically, to be creative and capable to collaborate, to make internet sites and to make use of internet facilities.

Arief Rahman also emphasized on the need to integrate information and communication technology to achieve the objective of national education. However, we should bear in mind that information and communication technology development in education could not replace teachers’ role whose pedagogy and psychological capacities are irreplaceable.