Togo 
report
TOGO
Overview
Although Togo has no ICT policy in place, a revision to the education policy in 2003 makes reference to the need provide ICT orientation and training for students. However, the lack of resources is constraining government efforts to take significant action. NGOs are active in terms of obtaining computers for a few schools and some private schools are able to maintain computer labs by charging extra fees - a practice that is not affordable for most students in the public system. The Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie (AUF) actively working with several higher education institutions to provide access to computer facilities with high speed Internet connectivity. Television has also been used to train teachers in pedagogy.
Country Profile
The Republic of Togo is located between Benin and Ghana in West Africa and borders the Bight of Benin in the south. The country consists primarily of two savannah regions separated by a southwest-northwest range of hills (la Chaine du Togo). Togo is commonly divided into six geographic regions. In the south are the low-lying sandy beaches. The coastal region is narrow, and there are a number of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Togo. The three major languages are Ewe, Kabye, and Mina. The main export of Togo is phosphate, which accounts for 40% of export revenue. Eighty percent of the population is agrarian.
Education System
Togo operates on a system of six years of primary, four years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary, and two to four years of tertiary education. There are two ministries responsible for the administration and management of education in the country: the National Ministry for Education and Research (MENR) and the Ministry for Vocational and Professional Training (METFP).
Six designated regional headquarters, each with defined district education structures, oversee the routine and local management of the education system and treat all issues related to research, school inspections, teaching and training. Despite the regional and district structures implemented to help decentralize the management of education, the system still suffers from a heavy centralized management control.
Some ministries also organize specific vocational and professional training for their future employees. For example, the Ministry of Health organizes training for medical auxiliaries, the Ministry of Youth and Sports for physical training instructors, the Civil Service for administrators and officers of the customs and revenue services, and the Ministry of Rural Development for agricultural extension officers. With the exception of the training and educational programs organized by the Civil Service which may involve university graduates, the rest are pre-university academic or professional programs which include in-service training. Some NGOs are also involved in literacy and professional training activities. The Council for Higher Education and Training (CSEF) is in charge of all such programs that do not fall under the two main educational ministries. Nonetheless, each ministry organizes its own training programs.
The education sector is allocated 21% of the country's budgetary resources. The two public universities of Lome and Kara receive subvention from government that caters for 96% of their resources. Between 1990 and 2002, the gap between boys' and girls' school enrolment dropped by 30%; however, the quality of teaching deteriorated as the number of qualified teachers fell drastically.
Infrastructure
The telephone infrastructure extends from Lome, the capital city in the south, to Dapaong, the northernmost city in Togo. The main operator, Togo Telecom, operates cellular services in addition to the fixed-line service, which is among the best in West Africa. There are two cellular operators in Togo (Togo Cellulaire of Togo Telecom and Moov, formerly Telecel) and three major ISPs. Mobile telephone services cover most of the urban and semi-urban areas. Telephone density is about 9%, inclusive of mobile phones.
Togo has an installed capacity of 42 MW of electricity on a 5,640 kilometer electrification network with 872 distribution sites that provide power to 4,200 public installations (street lights, etc.) and cover 13% of the national territory. The availability of electric power is negligible in the rural areas, with only 2% of the population having access. The country's energy problems may be traced to its lack of hydro and financial resources, not excluding the mismanagement of its electric power Company, Compagnie Electrique du Togo (CET). Ghana provides Togo with 380GW/h, but this volume has plummeted recently owing to the challenges Ghana is currently facing with the low level of water in its hydro-electric dam at Akosombo - a recurring phenomenon every few years.16 Togo also receives some electricity from the Nangbeto Dam, which is on the border with Benin and is shared by the two countries.
Further, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria have signed an agreement for the supply of electricity from Nigeria to both countries. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with private sector participation, has nearly completed the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) through Benin and Togo. WAGP is part of the region's energy supply system and is to supply natural gas to the three countries. ECOWAS, through its West Africa Power Pool Project (WAPP), is also in the process of constructing an interconnecting electric power grid for the region that will transport power from countries with excess supply to those with low energy levels.
ICTs in Education
Educational television was an effective tool that helped the government to train and run refresher courses for thousands of teachers. However, television was curtailed in the 1990s due to the socio-political situation, which led to the suspension of international cooperation and donor intervention in the sector. Currently, community FM radios transmit programs that have an impact on public order and human rights, health and political education, gender sensitization and equality.
Some private elementary schools (e.g., École Française and the American School of Lome) have computer laboratories, but the school fee is not within the reach of the average Togolese family. Public schools charge FCFA7,000 (USD$14) per annum, but the lowest private school fees are in excess of USD$1400. Public secondary schools in Lome suffer from the same problems as the elementary schools. Some private secondary schools have computer laboratories for their students, especially those schools that operate the French system of education and sit the external French examinations (e.g., École Alpha and École La Lumière), but only about 5% of Togolese youth know how to use computers. The Computer Centre (Centre de Calcul) and the Distance Learning Centre (Centre pour la formation à Distance) of the Université de Lome are developing educational programs to be launched using ICT.
Current ICT Initiatives and Projects
Project: Primary-level initiatives
An NGO, Mosaique du Monde, donated five computers to a public primary school, École Publique Primaire Bohn. That facility has been used to train about 98 teachers including 15 school inspectors and pupils. This initiative, though recognized by the government, receives only FCFA5,000 (approximately USD$10) as a contribution towards payment of monthly Internet connection fees. The Internet café has a dysfunctional air-conditioning system. Presently the facility has no Internet connection. Mosaique du Monde provided courses on CDs covering several subject areas that the pupils use as study material. The facility, in Lome, is the only one of its kind in a public school. The NGO has plans to establish another similar facility in Kara.
· Organization(s): Mosaique du Monde
Project: Resafad-Togo, the Réseau Africain de Formation à Distance, closed its doors two years ago. The project, which employed ICT, was located on the Université de Lome campus and saw the training of several head teachers of primary schools nationwide. The trained teachers were to pass on the skills acquired to teachers under their supervision.
Project: Campus Numérique Francophonie de Lome
Created in 1996 for use by the four tertiary institutions in Lome including Université de Lome. The centre boasts 50 computers and a high-speed Internet service. AUF pays for Internet connectivity charges, and students are provided an access code at a subscription rate of FCFA2,000 per month (approximately USD$4). The facility provides opportunity to students to pursue academic programs via elearning with universities in the francophone world. Student applications are vetted for listed programs and, when successful, students receive scholarships that permit them to pay about 10% to 15% of the course fee. Students are not restricted to the on-campus facility and may use their own Internet connection to pursue their programs.
· Organization(s): Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie (AUF).
· Funding source: AUF
profile
TOGO
Overview
Although Togo has no ICT policy in place, a revision to the education policy in 2003 makes reference to the need provide ICT orientation and training for students. However, the lack of resources is constraining government efforts to take significant action. NGOs are active in terms of obtaining computers for a few schools and some private schools are able to maintain computer labs by charging extra fees - a practice that is not affordable for most students in the public system. The Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie (AUF) actively working with several higher education institutions to provide access to computer facilities with high speed Internet connectivity. Television has also been used to train teachers in pedagogy.
Country Profile
The Republic of Togo is located between Benin and Ghana in West Africa and borders the Bight of Benin in the south. The country consists primarily of two savannah regions separated by a southwest-northwest range of hills (la Chaine du Togo). Togo is commonly divided into six geographic regions. In the south are the low-lying sandy beaches. The coastal region is narrow, and there are a number of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Togo. The three major languages are Ewe, Kabye, and Mina. The main export of Togo is phosphate, which accounts for 40% of export revenue. Eighty percent of the population is agrarian.
Education System
Togo operates on a system of six years of primary, four years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary, and two to four years of tertiary education. There are two ministries responsible for the administration and management of education in the country: the National Ministry for Education and Research (MENR) and the Ministry for Vocational and Professional Training (METFP).
Six designated regional headquarters, each with defined district education structures, oversee the routine and local management of the education system and treat all issues related to research, school inspections, teaching and training. Despite the regional and district structures implemented to help decentralize the management of education, the system still suffers from a heavy centralized management control.
Some ministries also organize specific vocational and professional training for their future employees. For example, the Ministry of Health organizes training for medical auxiliaries, the Ministry of Youth and Sports for physical training instructors, the Civil Service for administrators and officers of the customs and revenue services, and the Ministry of Rural Development for agricultural extension officers. With the exception of the training and educational programs organized by the Civil Service which may involve university graduates, the rest are pre-university academic or professional programs which include in-service training. Some NGOs are also involved in literacy and professional training activities. The Council for Higher Education and Training (CSEF) is in charge of all such programs that do not fall under the two main educational ministries. Nonetheless, each ministry organizes its own training programs.
The education sector is allocated 21% of the country's budgetary resources. The two public universities of Lome and Kara receive subvention from government that caters for 96% of their resources. Between 1990 and 2002, the gap between boys' and girls' school enrolment dropped by 30%; however, the quality of teaching deteriorated as the number of qualified teachers fell drastically.
Infrastructure
The telephone infrastructure extends from Lome, the capital city in the south, to Dapaong, the northernmost city in Togo. The main operator, Togo Telecom, operates cellular services in addition to the fixed-line service, which is among the best in West Africa. There are two cellular operators in Togo (Togo Cellulaire of Togo Telecom and Moov, formerly Telecel) and three major ISPs. Mobile telephone services cover most of the urban and semi-urban areas. Telephone density is about 9%, inclusive of mobile phones.
Togo has an installed capacity of 42 MW of electricity on a 5,640 kilometer electrification network with 872 distribution sites that provide power to 4,200 public installations (street lights, etc.) and cover 13% of the national territory. The availability of electric power is negligible in the rural areas, with only 2% of the population having access. The country's energy problems may be traced to its lack of hydro and financial resources, not excluding the mismanagement of its electric power Company, Compagnie Electrique du Togo (CET). Ghana provides Togo with 380GW/h, but this volume has plummeted recently owing to the challenges Ghana is currently facing with the low level of water in its hydro-electric dam at Akosombo - a recurring phenomenon every few years.16 Togo also receives some electricity from the Nangbeto Dam, which is on the border with Benin and is shared by the two countries.
Further, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria have signed an agreement for the supply of electricity from Nigeria to both countries. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with private sector participation, has nearly completed the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) through Benin and Togo. WAGP is part of the region's energy supply system and is to supply natural gas to the three countries. ECOWAS, through its West Africa Power Pool Project (WAPP), is also in the process of constructing an interconnecting electric power grid for the region that will transport power from countries with excess supply to those with low energy levels.
ICTs in Education
Educational television was an effective tool that helped the government to train and run refresher courses for thousands of teachers. However, television was curtailed in the 1990s due to the socio-political situation, which led to the suspension of international cooperation and donor intervention in the sector. Currently, community FM radios transmit programs that have an impact on public order and human rights, health and political education, gender sensitization and equality.
Some private elementary schools (e.g., École Française and the American School of Lome) have computer laboratories, but the school fee is not within the reach of the average Togolese family. Public schools charge FCFA7,000 (USD$14) per annum, but the lowest private school fees are in excess of USD$1400. Public secondary schools in Lome suffer from the same problems as the elementary schools. Some private secondary schools have computer laboratories for their students, especially those schools that operate the French system of education and sit the external French examinations (e.g., École Alpha and École La Lumière), but only about 5% of Togolese youth know how to use computers. The Computer Centre (Centre de Calcul) and the Distance Learning Centre (Centre pour la formation à Distance) of the Université de Lome are developing educational programs to be launched using ICT.
Current ICT Initiatives and Projects
|
Project: Primary-level initiatives An NGO, Mosaique du Monde, donated five computers to a public primary school, École Publique Primaire Bohn. That facility has been used to train about 98 teachers including 15 school inspectors and pupils. This initiative, though recognized by the government, receives only FCFA5,000 (approximately USD$10) as a contribution towards payment of monthly Internet connection fees. The Internet café has a dysfunctional air-conditioning system. Presently the facility has no Internet connection. Mosaique du Monde provided courses on CDs covering several subject areas that the pupils use as study material. The facility, in Lome, is the only one of its kind in a public school. The NGO has plans to establish another similar facility in Kara. · Organization(s): Mosaique du Monde |
|
Project: Resafad-Togo, the Réseau Africain de Formation à Distance, closed its doors two years ago. The project, which employed ICT, was located on the Université de Lome campus and saw the training of several head teachers of primary schools nationwide. The trained teachers were to pass on the skills acquired to teachers under their supervision. |
|
Project: Campus Numérique Francophonie de Lome Created in 1996 for use by the four tertiary institutions in Lome including Université de Lome. The centre boasts 50 computers and a high-speed Internet service. AUF pays for Internet connectivity charges, and students are provided an access code at a subscription rate of FCFA2,000 per month (approximately USD$4). The facility provides opportunity to students to pursue academic programs via elearning with universities in the francophone world. Student applications are vetted for listed programs and, when successful, students receive scholarships that permit them to pay about 10% to 15% of the course fee. Students are not restricted to the on-campus facility and may use their own Internet connection to pursue their programs. · Organization(s): Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie (AUF). · Funding source: AUF |
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+ National education and ICT policy (6 available subcategories; 6 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Equipment, connectivity and access (8 available subcategories; 7 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Teacher-training (12 available subcategories; 9 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Impact on educators and teaching (1 available subcategory; 0 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Impact of ICT on learners and learning (3 available subcategories; 0 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Institution management and ICT (10 available subcategories; 5 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Policy related to equity (1 available subcategory; 1 has data, including 0 documents)
+ Cultural and content sensitivity (1 available subcategory; 0 have data, including 0 documents)
+ Special education (1 available subcategory; 1 has data, including 0 documents)
- Auxiliary documents
No document is available.
Record updated on Tuesday December 22 2009 15:05:20 EST.
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