The government of Lebanon and Microsoft Eastern Mediterranean have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will bring long-term education programs under the Partners in Learning global initiative to the Arab state.
The agreement covers grades 1-12 in all public schools in the country and will cover Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education for students, along with upgrading teachers’ skills, software, Help Desk and other resources for schools.
In partnership with the Ministry of Education, Microsoft and its education partner in Lebanon, Eduware, will implement Partners in Learning for the next four years, helping more than 2,000 teachers and half a million students in public schools develop much-needed technology skills.
Microsoft’s Partners in Learning initiative, launched globally in September 2003, recognizes the educational value of technology in schools. Global in scope and local in implementation, this initiative provides a significant investment of software and more than $253 million in cash grants worldwide over the next five years to deliver ICT skills training, tailored curriculum development, technical support, and research funds as well as resources to students and teachers.
For Lebanon, Microsoft and the Ministry of Education together with NTC Eduware will work to localize and adapt the Microsoft develop ICT curriculum for schools in the country. They will also establish seven IT Academy Centers around the country, which will provide training for teachers over four years And will establish the Innovative Teacher Portal that will encourage teachers to get connected to the Innovative Teacher Community, share best practices and adopt IT in their schools. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
