THE BURSA "TELECOMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION" VIDEOCONFERENCE / JEAN BADEA, ADVISOR IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: "Internet as a resource is the most important in the action of education"

From the moment the online education segment has been occupying a more important position - since the beginning of the pandemic -, the two segments - telecommunications and education - have consolidated their relationship, says Jean Badea, Advisor to the Ministry of Education and Research and Head of the Computerization Department of the School Inspectorate of Bucharest.

In his opinion, it is necessary for all the resources for online education to be channeled to education entities and to teachers: "The internet resource is one of the most important, being intended to make the connection between the players in the sectors. The concern of the Ministry of Education has been to find ways so that the internet is made available to education units, as well as to students.

Our steps have consisted of identifying the education units and the areas that are missing internet and identifying the communities that are disadvantaged in that regard. The advantage is that in Romania, we are in a good position in terms of internet access".

Among other things, the official announced that a working group has been created in which operators in the sector and decision makers have participated in, therefore announcing that at the level of the working group, it has been decided that action will be taken to connect 2800 out of the 5000 buildings that are not connected to the internet by September 14. These 5000 constructions are part of the over 22000 buildings which the ministry has cataloged across the country as educational institutions.

Jean Badea also said: "Alternative have been found in the rural areas, where there are the biggest problems, during the time when education was suspended. We are hoping that the school year will catch us with a number as small as possible of communities where there is no internet. We are hoping that where no internet access will be available, the education process will take place face-to-face, until the technological resource reaches the location in question".

In closing, Mr. Badea brought up the memorandum which the Ministry of Education has concluded with the two major companies - Google and Microsoft - for the use of applications in an educational environment, which allow the accomplishment of the educational activities in a digital format.

He also added that no remarks should be made about internet access and drawbacks such as the absence of toilets in the cases of some rural schools. In his opinion, it is a positive fact that the issue of internet access has been resolved, in some areas, prior to resolving the issue of unavailable toilets.