The Government of Cape Verde aimed to generalize the access in the education system to information and communication technologies (ICT) and internet.

Start-up

The Mundu Novu (New World) program, which consisted in the ICT introduction in the Cape Verdean education system, was designed by LBC in the first quarter of 2009, and the implementation of the pilot project started in the same year (in 29 elementary and middle schools). At the same time, proceeded the expansion of internet access to all elementary schools, middle schools and universities.

Before Mundu Novu’s implementation, most of the country’s elementary and middle schools did not have computers for students to use, and the internet access was very limited. The change in the teaching-learning paradigm through ICT implied equipping classrooms and promoting access to computers by the different agents of the education system as a way to overcome the digital dividend. It was the beginning of the transformation process, with teachers acting as facilitators (after having received training) and more interactive exercises. The new model of education proposed by Leadership, with modern content and methods, allowed to focus the learning process on the students.

Implementation

The technological equipment was made possible through two initiatives: the classroom kit, consisting of a projector, a projection screen, a laptop and speakers; and the computer lab kit, with around 20 computers and an interactive whiteboard. Through the pilot project, was introduced one kit per classroom in the 29 schools covered in order to improve the management and promotion of ICT use by the teachers, and a computer lab kit to facilitate ICT learning (in 94% of the classrooms).

The equipment side aimed also to boost the involvement of local information technology companies, namely in the equipment’s distribution and maintenance. There were also created over 30 Digital Squares – Konekta, scattered throughout the country, for free internet access. It also took place a set of public events and forums in order to mobilize the civil society towards the program.

LBC made also an assessment of the program’s first three years, reviewed the strategic guidelines, analyzed options for the program’s future development, and determined the operational plan detailed with the initiatives to be developed in the following five years, did the investment forecast, established who would be made responsible as well as monitoring metrics and targets. We too analyzed the development of the ICT cluster in Cape Verde and the potential of technologies in education.

Project impact

In general terms, the Mundu Novu made possible to combat info-exclusion, allowing a greater equality of opportunities for cape verdeans. For example, in the 2011 ICT Development Index (IDI) (from International Telecommunications Unit - ITU), which measures the development of the information society, Cape Verde was the fourth best-ranked african country, with the percentage of internet users increasing from 20 to 30% between 2008 and 2010.