ICT Education in Papua New Guinea

Development in technology has progressed very fast. The technological revolution is significantly changing the world. ICT is pervasive, penetrating all sectors of the economy, creating new jobs, changing others and enhancing many activities. These activities include changes in existing laws and ethical values and, most importantly, the articulation of technical skills to gain employment. ICT is playing an increasing role in all areas of life. In order for Papua New Guinea to keep abreast with the global community, ICT must become an integral part of business, government and education. The continual improvements in ICT will eventually break the geographical barriers in Papua New Guinea. Geographical isolation will no longer be a hindrance to Papua New Guinea’s advancement; rather, ICT will create a virtual bridge to unite the whole country. Students studying ICT develop technical, practical, personal and organisational skills. They are at the forefront of advances in communication, information technology and computing. They have the tools to enable access to up-to-date and relevant information. Studying ethical issues related to ICT helps develop good moral values and respect for other cultures. The study of ICT benefits students when they pursue further education and training or employment and when they actively participate in their communities. 

Information Communication Technologies aims to enable students to:
• make a worthwhile contribution to the social and economic development
of the country through the use of ICT skills
• develop knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in ICT that will be
transferable to their career paths and future life directions
• provide students with knowledge of ICT that enhances their personal and
professional productivity
• break the geographical barriers of Papua New Guinea
• develop knowledge and skills to enable them to compete globally. 

Strands
The study of Information Communication Technologies is described in the
following strands:
Information
‘Information literacy’ is the ability to gather information from multiple sources,
select relevant material and organise it into a form that will allow the user to
make quality decisions or take specific actions.
This strand identifies the information that is taken from data. Whatever data
is encoded in the computer is interpreted in various ways to collect accurate
and reliable information. This information comes in a variety of ways after
processing, organising and analysing data to meet the needs of the end
user.
Students learn concepts in data input, processing and output to help them to
make informed decisions on information found in all areas of their lives.
Communication
Communication deals with the process involved in the transfer of information
from one place to another. This transfer can happen in a variety of ways. In
computer communications, data travels electronically at very high speed.
The speed of computer communication creates a big impact on computer
users, in ways never imagined before. Continuous improvement in the use of
satellite communications and the internet are making the world a smaller
place.
Students understand the use of a range of communications hardware and
software devices. They develop an awareness of the opportunities provided
by the growing need for communication.

Technology
Technology is about the knowledge and creative processes that are involved
in the development of hardware and software tools, techniques and the use
of materials. Technology is designed and produced to meet a range of
human needs, from personal to business, education and government.
Students learn about technologies that meet user needs and the impacts of
those technologies.