Page 11 - Teleduca

PREFACE

Saad Chedid
Rapporteur on Tele-educación
Working Group on Basic and Universal
Telecommunication Services, CITEL / OAS

I want to thank the Chairman of Permanent Consultative
Committee I, the Communication Minister of Colombia, Dr.
Angela Montoya Holguín, and Chairman of the Working Group
on Basic and Universal Telecommunication Services, Mr. Hector
Mario Carril, for giving me the opportunity to express briefly some thoughts arising from my
concern for distance learning and my cumulative experience, to point out the merits of the
work accomplished and some thoughts and suggestions for the future.

First, this book aims to fill a void of organized information on developments made in
the area of information and communication technologies applied to distance learning in our
countries in the American continent.

The survey conducted aspires to present the most complete picture possible of the
advances made in this area in the private sector and the state, on an individual, institutional
and/or national level by those who have developed projects utilizing these technologies for
educational purposes. With the objective of incorporating new communities in the Americas
into the sphere of the knowledge society.

Surely this work is so highly useful specifically because it will allow us, based on this
survey, to determine in which countries, and in which sectors of education: primary,
secondary, tertiary, university, and extracurricular training, we should begin to focus to
achieve sustained development. And furthermore, from this perspective of solidarity and
collaboration, to exchange studies and research.

Upon carefully reviewing the works received and the information gathered, we can say
that laudable efforts have been made and long term proposals and projects have been
developed in almost all of the countries of the hemisphere; south, central and north. Some
have been more successful than others, but all have been accompanied by the same
determination to find solutions to the pressing problems that we face.

We also believe, that it is time for all of us, nation States, international credit
organizations, universities, NGOs, businesses and unions, to work together to optimize the
use of information and communication technologies applied to education for social purposes.
Thus aspiring to begin to incorporate universally into the knowledge society the unprotected
and deprived sectors of society. We trust that in this way, through education, we can do what
is necessary to assist in raising the standard of living of our people.

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