Actually children ARE primary stakeholders and not involving them in discussions about education would be a huge mistake. Children are rights holders and (paraphrasing the convention on the rights of the child) they have a right to be involved in any decisions affecting their lives, according to their age and ability. Not only do they have the right to participate in these decisions, involving and asking them about issues impacting on their lives generally leads to better ideas, better decisions and better programs and interventions. Most children I've worked with place a huge importance on their education, especially in countries where not all children and young people can attain education easily. When looking at sustainability of ICTs in education, a thorough understanding of the local context should necessarily involve discussions with children about their current use of ICTs and their desired use, along with clear probing discussions about realistic use and maintenance of ICTs and local capacity for sustainability.

I was saying this somewhat tongue in cheek. I work at a large INGO (have been in the INGO 'field' for about 15 years) and blog at http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com, and tweet at @meowtree :-). One day I'll get my masters, probably an online + face-to-face type set up so I can work while I get it and so I can afford to do it without racking up a lot of debt (I live in the US where education is really expensive). In the meantime I'm enjoying the discussions, conversations and tons of learning I get through social media -- one of the best things about social media education (as opposed to getting a masters) is that you can interact on a daily basis with people from all ranges of disciplines, fields and ages/levels of experience which makes the exchanges really varied and rich. Hopefully universities will learn how to really incorporate social media into their education programs to offer students a better education.

hear hear! "My conclusion after two months on Twitter, and by extension blogs founds through RSS/Google Reader, is that I will soon, if I have not already, learn more about development then I did during my MA in Development Studies."

I am questioning going back for my Masters degree for that very reason. It might interrupt the real-time learning and professional growth and discussion I get via social media....

Working closely with girls, mothers and grandmothers as well as the broader community is key. For example, this project works with local organizations and local women to educate and dialog around female genital cutting.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frE4ghFYeoQ