Global Alliance for Technology and Education (GATE) is a nonprofit organization that is bringing together a community of interest and creating partnerships to help improve the educational and technological challenges facing many schools in Africa.

Core objectives

• Improve education and increase access to technology resources in African schools
• Create and preserve partnerships with individuals, social groups and companies to foster the growth of technology and education in Africa.
• Build a sustainable community by empowering entrepreneurs with knowledge, capital, and resources needed to succeed.

Education

Education in Africa is less developed than many parts of the world, and many countries have low rates of participation. Schools often lack many basic facilities, and African universities suffer from overcrowding and staff being lured away to Western countries by higher pay and better conditions.

According to UNESCO's Regional overview on sub-Saharan Africa, in 2000 only 58% of children were enrolled in primary schools, the lowest enrollment rate of any region. It was also the region with the highest rate of repetition - over 15% in more than half the countries with data. UNESCO also reported marked gender inequalities: in most regions there is much higher enrolment by boys, but in some there are actually more girls, due to sons having to stay home and tend to the family farm.

Africa is faced with multitude of challenges that are disruptive to improving the educational situation. Some of these include:

• Lack of Equipment
• Lack of Space
• Additional classrooms
• School supplies
• Teachers training, textbooks reading material

Rudimentary resources including textbooks, supplementary reading materials, teacher guides, classroom equipment and furniture, trained teachers and a secure and comfortable school and classroom physical environment are all part of a recipe for a substantial learning environment and many African schools lack these necessities.

Technology

A recent session of the African Development Forum in Addis Ababa noted that the internet spread across Africa is happening at an alarmingly slow rate. Much of the world, it seems, took little notice of that declaration, perhaps because Africa has more pressing problems at hand than lack of access to resources like the internet. It is easy to dismiss these discussions and technologies as lacking importance or as inappropriate in light of more pressing needs such as primary health care and the rampant spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS.

The pressing issue is that many students in Africa graduate without having access to computer training. The trend is changing with the spread of internet cafes around Africa, but many countries have not adopted a full education-technology policy.

GATE is committed to providing all students with the opportunity to be educated and learn the technology skills necessary to be successful. GATE is partnering with schools in the local communities to teach students and apply technology as a tool. The organization is also committed to educating students to become productive citizens possessing the competencies required for success in meeting the technological challenges of the future.

We have developed an education & technology plan to aid in integrating technology into the school system curriculum.

The plan includes four specific goals:

• All teaching staff involved with teaching students technology will increase their knowledge in the use of technology to be effective in training students.
• GATE will integrate the appropriate use of technology across the curriculum at all grade levels.
• GATE will coordinate and manage technology resources to facilitate maximum use and efficiency.
• GATE will develop an infrastructure foundation through the means of a Technology Learning Center to be able to accommodate and adapt future technological advancements.

GATE Model

GATE model is to create partnerships with a community to educate, train, and create sustainability in Africa.



Educate
GATE provides scholarships to students to gain education at all grade levels.
After high school, GATE works with other organizations or partners to provide college education for selected students.

Empower
GATE empowers students by providing life-long skills in the form of technology training to students at all grade levels
Students gain knowledgeable and handy skills to become functional in the global economy

Sustain
GATE works with local governments, companies, and organizations to create sustainability by building low cost, small/medium size businesses that selected students in grade levels 10 and above can work at after school or during the time off from school. Students will gain hands-on entrepreneur skills and training to become successful.

Website: http://www.gatetoafrica.org
Tags: africa, alliance, Education, partnership, Technology