Web-Based Data Finally Entering Classrooms also in Countries in Transition

Dusan Soltes, Faculty of Management
Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia


One of the areas where the gap between the most developed countries and
the current countries in transition from the Central and Eastern Europe
used to be the most evident has been the area of computerization and in
particular the utilization of computers for education. In the past, the
main reason was mostly the lack of access to the most advanced computer
technologies which for political reasons (embargo) were not available for
the former socialist countries. Currently, the main problem has been
mostly a lack of funding for acquiring a modern information and
communication technology and especially those for the needs of the
seriously underfunded education. It does not mean that there have not been
an ever growing number of schools having access to Internet, www, e-mail,
etc. But the whole this process has been to a large extent hampered by the
lack of funding but also capacities for the development of the
specialized, education oriented web-based applications and systems in
comparison with the most advanced countries. - One of the initiatives how
to help to solve this problem has also been a CMIS – Computerised
Monitoring Information System on the Rights for Education (including those
belonging to minorities) as a joint project funded by the UNICEF European
Office in Geneva and the Slovak Committee for UNICEF under the worldwide
program “Education for Development”. The CMIS has been developed as a tool
for monitoring the process of practical implementation of the rights for
education according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Child.  In addition to this main objective of the system, it has also had
an additional objective i.e. to support the process of the development and
further perfection of the methods and techniques of education through the
direct utilization of the more comprehensive web based computer
application.  - To the above main objectives corresponds also the main
structure of CMIS and its four basic modules. These main modules are as
follows: - Legislative database – it contains the list of all legislative
acts which in the Slovak Republic legislativelly define and secure the
basic rights for education. This data base enables also an access to all
other websites with the full texts of the particular legislative acts.
This database contains also references to the main sources of the
particular international legislature - Statistical database – it contains
all relevant statistical data on education in the Slovak Republic since
its origin in 1993 regarding the mandate of the above Convention i.e.
regarding education of children up to the age of 18 including some basic
information on various types of the pre-school institutions, basic
schools, high schools, teachers, etc. This data base contains not only
“classical” statistical data but utilizes also technical means and tools
for its graphical and geographic representation - International
comparisons – this module focuses on the information which would enable
international comparisons regarding national implementation programs of
the above rights for education according to the particular UN Convention -
Development resources – according to its above development objective, CMIS
in this module contains direct access interfaces to various other
worldwide education web sites either of the United Nations such as e.g.
Voice of Youth, Education for Development, Education for All, etc. or of
other web education sites providers and/or operators.

The whole system has already been implemented as a pilot testing version
and has been accessible worldwide with all main features of such a modern
web based system as are unlimited and easy access, user friendliness,
non-stop run, full text search, hot line and user comfort, openess,
flexibility and expandability.  In addition to its basic Slovak version it
contains also a partial English version.

In addition to its above main objectives as expressed by the CMIS modules,
the system enables at the same time to meet also various other education
objectives so important in the current globalized and mutually
interconnected world. In this respect it enables to all users i.e.also
pupils and students a direct active use of the modern information and
communication technologies for a web based system, to learn in the modern
form on some of their basic rights regarding their main activity i.e.
education, to access and work with statistical data, to learn about their
peers in other countries and to enter into direct dialogues with them and
thus overcome some still existing isolation, stereotypes and to develop
their own sense for international cooperation, against xenofobia, etc.
Further on, the system enables them to familiarize themselves and
activelly access various worldwide education programs and to use and
improve their practical knowledge of English as a language of the www and
the current globalization and thus prepare young people for the challenges
of the contemporary world.