The topic of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education is an interesting yet challenging subject as there are a myriad of ways

from which to present objective perspectives on the matter. I think the most important roles for ICT in the developing world revolve around key deliverables, which would ideally suggest a way forward, though not an all out inclusive solution to the problems faced in the education arena in developing countries. Through the integration of ICT in education, it may be possible to address the shortages in qualified teachers by accelerating and enabling teacher training during pre and post service periods. The often high teacher to pupil ratios, which may translate into low level learning achievement, may be addressed while at the same time tackling the shortage of basic instructional materials and often poor physical infrastructure. The sense of "keeping pace" with the rest of the world, by being exposed to and included in the technological revolution I sense, provides a boosting element in the learning initiative especially in regions in which factors of hardship on many fronts are second nature. ICTs may deter pupils / students from dropping out of school as the curriculum and pedagogy represent an illuminating perspective, new ways of doing things, hardware, software, as the interactive component and creative discretion in applied learning are among many important roles of ICTs. Distance learning associated with the lack of learning opportunities in remote areas may be overcome through ICTs as the problem of geographical isolation may be addressed - furthermore, from an economic perspective, distance learning educational software would result in economies of scale eventually driving down costs and increasing efficiency of the desired output, which is a relevant, quality education of competence. The most important risks posed by ICTs in education in developing countries are important to address. Not only does the pace of educational reform and restructuring take far longer than the rapid changes and developments in technology, we still have no conclusive evidence / research pointing toward significant headway in the quality and impact derived from the drive for increased ICTs in school systems in the developing world. From a policy standpoint, the question is: to what extent must educational reform's resources be disbursed in favor of a more ICT based learning environment? With severely strained resources and high implementation costs, many poorer governments are incapable of meeting the challenge of managing and sustaining significant strategies aimed at adequately incorporating ICTs into the learning environment. The question of whether or not education and learning are synonymous comes to play here. In many developing countries, the sense of community "role models" such as teachers, play a notable role in the socio dynamics and cultural aspects of education. To this end: teachers may resist the influx of ICTs as they may regard this as a substituting role in the process. The costs of maintaining, upgrading and operating acceptable devices and the associated costs of training instructors [and students] are risk factors as well. What the opportunity cost of not doing so is also a risk. If the technology revolution out paces the standards prevailing in the developing world, a backlash in

educational quality, substance and relevance will emerge as a result of the digital divide. Those with access to the digital world will advance further and the developing nations will be tagging behind. Building capacity is a factor too: in remote areas in which running water, electricity and basic amenities required for the proper functioning of significant ICT devices for education are in many cases sporadic, coupled with poor infrastructure, and limited existing knowledge and technical expertise, the risks are compounded to a further extent. Systems in place for monitoring and evaluating the results of initiatives in ICTs and a framework from which to make sound assessments from is a costly endeavor. Finally, educational analysts, reformists, policymakers and all other stakeholders must diligently define in what way they intend to apply ICTs in the learning process as opposed to acquiring the technology and working backwards from that point; in this way some of the risks described here may be avoided or hopefully discarded.