Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that by 2014 almost all of the country will be connected by fiber optics “for training and the expansion of knowledge.”
Santos spoke at the opening ceremony of the XIV International Virtual Educa, a conference, exhibition and multilateral forum on education, innovation and ICT, taking place in Colombia’s second city Medellin, 2013’s most innovative city in the world.
The president said that by the end of his presidential term next year 1,078 of the 1,121 municipalities in the country will be connected, allowing communications and internet to reach some of the most rural communities.
“When we began our term in government, only 200 municipalities were connected with fiber-optics,” said Santos. The government also expects to have trained over 200,000 teachers in the use of ICT in the classroom by the end of 2013, that is up from 40,000 in 2010.
“At first there was an average of 20 students per computer [in schools], we should end this year with an average of 13 children per computer and in 2014, if we continue as we are, we should have an average of eight children per computer,” said Santos.
“Universal access to technology is the best guarantee that new generations close social gaps which have so far created educational differences,” said the president.
The event brings together representatives from 20 countries and highlights innovation, education, competitiveness and development.
Sources
- Presidente Santos dijo que en 2014 casi toda Colombia estara conectada por fibra optica (W Radio)
- Presidente Santos afirma que acceso en tecnologia cierra brechos en la educacion (Presidencia.gov)
- Presidente anuncia que el proximo año quedaron conectados a la fibra optica 1.078 municipios del pais (Presidencia.gov)
- XIV virtual educa international symposium (Virtualeduca.org)
