As a result of the COVID-19 situation, the reliance on ICT to support the ‘new norm’ have become evident and widespread. The ICT sector is a growing sector for education in both developed and developing countries. This means that qualified female students in technical fields around the world have significant opportunities available to them. These are excellent opportunities in particular for highly skilled girls and young women who are still a minority when it comes to STEAM education and careers. Developing initiatives and activities to promote and encourage girls to take up study in STEAM and ICT is hence a requirement.
Girls in ICT activities will follow the 2022 theme of “Access and Safety.” According to ITU’s latest data, the proportion of women using the Internet globally amounts to 48 per cent, compared to 55 per cent of men. In relative terms, this means that the global Internet use gender gap stands at 12.5 per cent. If women are unable to access the internet and feel unsafe online, they are unable to develop digital skills and participate in digital spaces, diminishing their opportunities to pursue a career in STEM fields.
The Girls in ICT Day Thailand initiative aims to encourage girls and young woman to pursue studying STEAM, enhance their level of digital skill, and raise awareness on meaningful and safe use of ICT.
Under the initiative, the program in 2022 aims[1]:
- To enhance the digital literacy of girls and young woman, particularly in the area of cyber security, ICT application, and use of digital technology which supports Thailand’s Digital Economy plan and Thailand 4.0.
- To encourage girls and young women to utilize ICT meaningfully and strengthen the Girls in ICT day online community in Thailand, as well as other countries in Asia and the Pacific.
- To explore partnerships with various government and UN agencies to continue the support to digital literacy and digital skills development after the event.
The most recent PISA 2018 reveals that in terms of gender equality, Thai girls scored higher than boys in mathematics by 16 points. Across OECD countries, boys outperformed girls by five points. While girls slightly outperformed boys in science (by two points) on average across OECD countries, in Thailand girls outperformed boys in science by 20 points. When asked about their desired professions, about one in five boys in Thailand want to work as an engineer or science professional at the age of 30, while one in seven girls want to do so. In addition, about three in seven high-performing girls expect to work in health-related professions, while one in five high-performing boys expect to do so. Only some 3% of boys and 1% of girls in Thailand expect to work in ICT (information and communications technology) -related professions.
The above context reflects on how education system could shed light for ICT related professions for girls while they have demonstrated high achievement than their boys’ cohort. To demystify, UNICEF in collaboration with the Bureau of Information and Communication Technology, OPS as well as the Bureau of Teaching and Learning Technology, OBEC including the Institute of Promoting Science and Technology jointly initiate STEAM female secondary school teachers networking in Thailand to exchange their experience of interacting with their secondary schools students, especially girls students both in classes as well as extra curriculum activities. The reflection, utterance, and recommendations will be summarized and presented as a part of celebrating an International Girls in ICT Day Thailand. This initiative is resulted in a dialogue among STEAM female teachers in 2021 which UNICEF has hosted in collaboration of those agencies mentioned. Therefore, the ICT female teachers network would start to be 1st one to support STEAM female secondary schools teachers networks in Thailand.
[1] ITU(2022) The excerpt from a concept note on International Girls in ICT Day Thailand
Agenda of the Zoom STEAM female secondary school teachers Networking in Thailand
May 3, 2022
9.00 am -9.20 am: Introduction of the STEM Female Networking concept
9.20 am- 9.27 am: Message from Mr.Ittikorn Changsakol, Director of Bureau of ICT, MOE
9.27 am -9.42 am: Message from Dr.Kulsalin Musikul, Deputy Director of IPST
9.42 am- 9.50 am: Message from Mr. Rior Santos, UN Coordinator Specialist, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
9.50 am- 10.00 am: Message from UNICEF, the significant of Girls’ contribution in STEM in Thailand
10.00 am – 10.45 am: Panel sharing by participating teachers from 2021
10.45 am – 10.50 am: Procedure of the networking exchange
- Mr.Jakkarpong Jantawong, Consultant
10.50 am-12.00 am: Breaking out 4 groups to exchange on the following guiding themes;
Each group will be clustered in a small team in your own groups so each person could exchange sufficiently. Each team will nominate representatives to address the following questions in plenary in the following days. This will allow each team to sufficiently exchange and collectively work as a team to pitch the group summary to the MOE.
- What did you observe young female students in in the area of ICT application, and use of digital technology in STEM (your own classrooms)?
- How might teachers could facilitate young generations, girls in particular, to utilize ICT meaningfully and strengthen the Girls in ICT day online community in Thailand?
- How would you encourage or get your peer teachers to support your aspiration to advance STEAM in your schools?
- What are the challenges to promote STEAM in Thailand education?
- Sharing of lesson plan from group members to their own team
May 4, 2022
8.45 am – 9.00 am: Morning gathering for all ICT female teacher participants.
9.00 am – 9.30 am: Special technical inputs
- Muhammad Rafiq Khan, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF
09.30 am – 09.45 am: Q&A
09.45 am – 10.00 am: Quick group work on on-line safety
10.00 am – 10.10 am: Instruction for Group work presentation
10.10 am – 10.25 am: Presentation of Group X.
10.25 am – 10.35 am: Reflection by Group 2, 3
10.35 am –10.50 am: Presentation of Group X
10.50 am – 11.00 am: Reflection by Group 4, 5
11.00 am – 11.15 am: Presentation from Group X
11.15 am – 11.25 am: Reflection by Group 1, 4
11.25 am – 11.40 am: Presentation from Group X
11.40 am – 11.50 am: Reflection by Group 3, 5
11.50 am – 12.00 am: Closing remarks
- Dr.Suwit Bungbau, DLTV Director
- Dr.Sornthep Wannarat, Acting Director of Technology Section (TBC)
- Rangsun Wiboonuppatum, UNICEF
Participating STEAM female secondary school teachers:
- Currently teaching at secondary schools in any subject in relation to STEAM
- Experience in teaching at the classroom levels about 1-10 years
- Willingness to share and listen to colleagues’ experience and want to learn more ideas
- No restriction of any jurisdiction of teaching, private or government schools are welcome. (This forum may not fit to home schooling nor non-formal education setting).
Host of the event
The Bureau of Information and Communication Technology, OPS
The Bureau of Teaching and Learning Technology, OBEC
The Institute of Promoting Science and Technology, IPST
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
UNICEF
Contact person UNICEF Project Manager
- Rangsun Wiboonuppatum, Education Officer, UNICEF Mobile 081-984-1796
Networking Manager:
- Mr. Jakkrapong Juntawong, UNICEF Consultant, Mobile 086-659-5850