Technology
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2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
1. Terminology
The 2018- 2023 General Education Sector Strategic Plan refers to the terms “online platform” and “technology” without defining them.
The 2020 National COVID19 Response Plan (draft) mentions the terms “distance learning”, “e-learning” and “online content” with no definitions.
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
Constitution and laws: Article 62 of the 2019 Constitution affirms the right and obligation to access education but mentions nothing about technology.https://sudan.un.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/Sudan Education Policy Review UNESCO.pdf
Article 5 of the 2001 General Public Education Planning and its Organization Act states that one of its general education objectives includes “building up individuals’ abilities and skills through technological training”.The Ministry of Education should guarantee the right to education for all children in Sudan of eligible age. The 2010 Child Act also protects the right of children to access general education free of charge. The act also aims to provide free secondary education for orphans, children with disabilities and children of unknown parents.
Policies, plans and strategies: The Education for All 2015 national review for the period between 2000-2015 and Sudan's vision for Post-2015 indicates the priority of electronic education and investments made to develop computer labs in schools in several regions.
The 2015 – 2019 Five-Year Economic Programme takes into consideration two important developments “the completion of the Three-Year Economic Programme 2012-2014, and the country's constitutional, political, economic and social developments, which coincide with the constitutional tenure of the Presidency of the Republic (2015 – 2019)”. In the education sector, the programme aimed to encourage the Private Sector to invest in the field of technology in education and to provide means to establish advanced technological education.
The 2018- 2023 General Education Sector Strategic Plan provides a framework for investment in General Education; however, the only technology policy mentioned is in regard to its use in data collection and management in schools to increase efficiency and the development of an online platform for an Education Management Information System.
Digital competency frameworks: No information has been found.
Changes occurred as a result of COVID-19: As mentioned in the 2020 National COVID-19 Response Plan (draft), the Sudanese government announced a state of public health of emergency. On March 15, 2020, all schools were closed followed by the establishment of a high-level COVID-19 Response Committee, headed by the Ministry of Health. The 2020 National COVID-19 Response Plan (draft) “includes measures for continuity of learning, student safety, and psychosocial well-being. While interventions focus mostly on the direct plans of the Ministry of Education, some are also related to health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and child welfare”. According to the UNESCO Global Monitoring of School Closures, schools in Sudan partially reopened by the end of November 2020 and fully reopened by January 2021.
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.2.1. Technology infrastructure and digital capacity of schools
Electricity: Sudan’s electricity access is governed by the 2001 Electricity Act which designated the National Electricity Corporation (NEC) as the body for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution; the act also designated the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) as the sector regulator. According to a 2019 World Bank report, the sector operates efficiently and the government of Sudan sought to achieve universal access by 2031 in alignment with its Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The government aims to connect 250,000 households per year and provide 2.5 million stand-alone solar home systems (SHSs) by 2023 for areas where the grid connection is not feasible.
The Sudan National Quarter-Century Strategy (2007–2031) also contains goals such as improving energy efficiency.
Computers and devices: No information has been found.
Internet connectivity: Sudan's 2019 constitution grants citizens “the right to access the internet” (article 57(2)).
2.2.2. Technology and learning environments
The 2020 National COVID-19 Response Plan (draft) measures included “the development and delivery of distance learning content based on the national curriculum” through television, TV, social media platforms and also paper-based modalities where possible (......) booklets, printed materials will be distributed to the 18 states to support those who cannot access internet-based, TV and Radio materials.”
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
2.3.1. Learners
Sudan has the 1996 National Centre for Curricula and Education Research Act to enhance curriculum development and educational research, but no information has been found regarding ICT/edtech/ STEM standards and in the policies and curricula for students except in the 2020 National COVID-19 Response Plan (draft) as an objective to be attained “distance learning programs in Math and Reading”, “emphasis on reading, writing, numeracy and acquisition of life-skills", and as an indicator “ # of students that are trained using digital programs”.
2.3.2. Teachers
The 2018 UNESCO Sudan: Education Policy Review - Paving the Road to 2030 states the in-Service Educational Training Institute (ISETI), Teachers National Training Centre (TNTC), Teacher Training Institutes (TTIs), and the National Centre for Curriculum and Educational Research (NCCER) are responsible in training teachers though no information on digital skills for teachers in initial/in-service training on technologies has been found. It is the same case with initial training “Initial teacher education curricula include academic courses; professional training in educational and developmental psychology, teaching methods and lesson planning; and practical training. New subjects have been introduced such as population, health and environmental education (IBE-UNESCO, 2012)”.
In the other hand, the 2020 National COVID-19 Response Plan (draft) objectives included “Modify some of the teacher training programs which were meant to be delivered face-to-face using digital means such as by phones and TV based training – include instruction for teachers on remote teaching methodologies” conducted by the NCCER.
2.4. Cybersecurity and safety
2.4.1. Data privacy
Sudan's 2019 constitution grants citizens the right to privacy (article 55). Though Sudan has no law which specifically protects personal data, various sectoral laws are of relevance, such as the 2007 Electronic Transactions Act, the 2007 Cybercrime Act, the 2020 Cybercrime Prevention (Amendment) Act, and Law No. 14 on Information Technology Crime, and the 2010 National Security Act
2.4.2. Online abuse and cyberbullying
The 2007 Information Crimes Act states in article 16 that anyone who violates the inviolability of private life, through the information network or a computer or by virtue of its judgement shall be liable to a term of up to three years imprisonment, a fine or both penalties; however, no information in the context of education has been found.
Articles 25 and 26 of the 2018 Cybercrime Law address online bullying and slander.
3. Governance
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
The Federal Ministry of General Education (FmoGE) is responsible for planning, coordinating, and monitoring in all general education levels plans, and all education projects including technology. The National Centre for Curriculum and Educational Research (NCCER) under the FMoGE is in charge of the national curriculum and provision of training to education personnel for digital skills and also the provision of a digital platform.
3.2. Roles of schools
No legislation has been found concerning the role of schools, particularly concerning their authority to ban mobile phones.
