Ministry of Education, UNESCO, and ICDL Asia Launches Teachers’ Digital Skills Training Pilot Project in Mongolia

In line with UNESCO's 42 C/5 programme on digital transformation in East Asia, Ministry of Education, UNESCO and ICDL Asia has launched a pilot project aimed at equipping Mongolian teachers with essential digital skills. Launched officially on 20 September 2024 at an event co-organised by UNESCO, Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, and Mongolia Ministry of Education, the initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education, and Mongolia's national digital agenda, as outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Mongolia (UNSDCF) 2023-2027, ICT Master Plan and Policy, National ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, and the Education 2030 Agenda Framework for Action. D. Gantulga, Advisor to Minister of Education of Mongolia, Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, representatives from UNESCO Mongolia Antenna, Mongolia Ministry of Education, other international development agencies, as well as ICDL Asia participated in the launch event.

The pilot project is designed to provide primary and secondary school teachers, along with master trainers, with essential digital competencies to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning. Laying the foundation for enhancing digital competencies among educators across Mongolia that is in line with Mongolia vision of becoming a fully digital nation by 2050. Aligned with Mongolia's ICT Master Plan and National ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, the pilot project also forms a critical part of the country's broader strategy to accelerate digital literacy and promote the integration of technology into education.

Participants at the launch event © Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO

Speaking at the Launch event, UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia Director Prof. Shahbaz Khan highlighted that technology presents unprecedented opportunities to overcome barriers in education, and Mongolia's initiatives, such as the ICT Master Plan and the Teachers' ICT Capacity-Building Pilot Project, are essential for achieving quality education for all, in line with the targets of SDG 4.

Director of Digital Learning Department of Mongolia Ministry of Education, Mr. Bat- Erdene, elaborated on the global and national visions for education digitalization and emphasized the importance of humanistic during the implementation of the initiatives while introducing digitalization frameworks. He acknowledged the importance of the launch of the Global Education Monitoring Report 2023 and the ICT in Education Master Plan to modernize its education system and ensure inclusive, quality education for all, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4. Mongolia is ready to use digital technology to improve educational access, quality, and lifelong learning opportunities, especially in the face of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Mongolia is also implementing the "3-C" program - focusing on curriculum improvement, capacity building, and connectivity - to enhance e-education infrastructure and teacher training, with support from UNESCO and other partners.

Launch of the pilot project on Teachers' ICT Skill Capacity-Building in Mongolia © Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO

Presentations at the event © Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO

Since August 2024, the first phase of the Train-the-Trainer project commenced with the selected five English-speaking teachers by the Mongolian Ministry of Education. These educators underwent an initial assessment using the ICDL Compass tool to evaluate their existing digital proficiency. Following this, the first cohort participated in eight days of intensive training on key ICDL modules, including Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentation, Cyber Security, and ICT in Education. The training was delivered online by master trainers from the Universiti Malaya Faculty of Computer Science (FSKTM), with support from ICDL Asia staff members.

As part of the next phase, these certified educators will train an additional 20 teachers by the end of November 2024 to ensure scalability and sustainability, allowing local educators to lead future training efforts and proceed with localisation.

In conclusion, this collaboration underscores ICDL Asia commitment to advancing digital literacy across the region, supporting the integration of technology in education, and contributing to Mongolia's digital transformation journey. The project's ultimate goal is to establish a sustainable, locally run programme that provides international recognised digital skills standard training and certification, enabling broader implementation across Mongolia in future. By enhancing the digital competencies of its educators, ICDL firmly believes Mongolia is making significant strides toward its long-term vision of becoming a fully digital nation by 2050.