Computer literacy is generally defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with the range of skills going from elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving. The term can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and associated applications.
Given the increasing prominence that computer and Internet-related activities are taking in all phases of business and commerce, it behooves any nation to encourage as many its citizens as possible to be at least minimally proficient on a given desktop, laptop, netbook, or tablet. Such skills are seen as a significant asset in both developing and developed countries.
According to global statistics garnered by ITU, the United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, in 2010 there are an estimated 17,000 Internet users in St. Kitts-Nevis, resulting in a ‘percent of population usage penetration’ rate of 34.1. That figure is slightly higher than the average for the Caribbean, which is at 23.2%. Notably, the region has experienced the highest ‘net user growth rate in the world from the period of 2000 – 2010, a whopping 1,624.5%.
The Federation’s Internet use is near par with neighboring Anguilla, which is at 30.5%, but falls far below regional leaders like Antigua and Barbuda at 74.9%; St. Lucia, 88.8%; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 72.9%.
There is certainly room for improvement on the local computer/Internet front, so it is encouraging to see the recent technology initiatives launched in Cappisterre, to be later expanded into Dieppe Bay and Saddlers. The presence of more new computers, and the availability of computer training classes cannot help but be of benefit.
A highly computer-literate populace presents all kinds of global opportunities, including the ability to lure potential businesses from abroad to set up local operating centers, thus boosting employment. In addition, more local entrepreneurs can find fertile ground for growth and development, perhaps to make important breakthroughs in software or hardware technology.
Due to the plethora of potential benefits, initiatives to ramp up computer knowledge and usage among citizens have become commonplace in the developing world. Among the most notable of these is the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project, which targets the globe’s poorest children by providing rugged, low-cost, low-power, Internet-connected laptops, along with free distribution software. Its primary goal is to bridge the ‘Digital Divide’ and provide easier access to the myriad learning tools found via the Internet.
In Rwanda, for example, OLPC is set to complete a project to distribute upwards of 65,000 laptops to 150 primary schools around the country this month, accompanied by infrastructure upgrades for the targeted schools.
So, the Federation is in good company in seeking to actively promote improvements in computer literacy and Internet access – a worthy national goal. |
