Bhutanese Lecturers in Singapore to Study IT-in-Learning

Singapore, 27 July 2009 — Eight lecturers from the Kingdom of Bhutan are in Singapore for a week-long study visit (27–31 July).

Hailing from the Colleges of Education in Paro and Samtse, Bhutan, they are here to study the system of integrating IT into classroom teaching and learning.

During their five-day programme where they will visit tertiary institutions such as NIE and Republic Polytechnic, and primary and secondary schools for an insight into the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in learning.

The Bhutanese lecturers aim to implement strategies that support IT integration into their colleges’ curriculum. Selected by their respective colleges to form a critical mass of leadership needed to promote the use of IT, these lecturers were chosen for their leadership qualities and active involvement in shaping the roles and responsibilities necessary for greater ICT integration.

This is one component of the three-year Bhutan W.I.R.ED project (2009–2011), co-sponsored by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and Temasek Foundation.

Launched in April this year, the Bhutan W.I.R.ED project involves the training of Bhutanese teachers by Singapore volunteers from NIE and various educational institutions; and the setting up of centres of excellence around Bhutan in the use of IT for teaching and learning. (W.I.R.ED refers to “Weaving Infotech Resources in Education”).

For Temasek Foundation (TF), education is a core focus area where it invests in human capital development in Asia. This is the one of two education projects TF is supporting in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The vision of Bhutan W.I.R.ED is to develop a new generation of IT-integrated classroom learning that empowers Bhutanese with the confidence and skills for learning. The SIF hopes that IT in classroom learning will spearhead the greater ease of using IT in the workforce, and create growth opportunities for IT-related industries, leading to employment and economic growth.

The SIF has been working with communities for sustained development since 1991, through capacity building and direct service missions. Since 1991, the SIF has sent about 12,000 volunteers overseas on capacity building and direct service missions. Since 2002, the SIF programme in Bhutan has focused on developing the youths in Bhutan through building the capacity of the education sector and employment sector.