The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program, envisioned by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) professor Nicholas Negroponte and introduced in Nepal in 2008, has already equipped children in 26 schools throughout Nepal´s six districts with a laptop each.
“We want to build on Negroponte´s program by integrating the school curriculum with it so that it serves as an educational tool,” says Rabi Karmacharya of Open Learning Exchange Nepal (OLEN), the organization responsible for bringing the laptops to the country.
While laptops have been distributed in other countries without linking it to the curriculum, in Nepal OLEN is creating educational material, training teachers and involving the Department of Education in order to make the Rs 15,000 apiece laptop an integral part of primary education in Nepal.
Currently, OLEN has almost completed its second phase of work, which is to introduce the laptops in 26 schools of six districts in Nepal.
Compared with other countries, progress to distribute laptops is snail-paced in Nepal. In Peru, 250,000 laptops have already been distributed and a million kids in Uruguay are enjoying the tiny green $200 laptop and its various inbuilt activities.
But Karmacharya says he is slowing the process of laptop distribution deliberately.
“It´s easy to just give the laptops away, but to make it a significant part of the primary school curriculum takes time,” says Karmacharya.
Thus it might take time for all primary school kids to be able to use the laptops as part of their school curriculum. But perhaps they are in for a better deal.
Pavan KC, a primary-level English teacher has been trying to do just that while tutoring second and third graders of Bishwamitra Ganesh Lower Secondary School of Jyamirekot, Lalitpur.
“The kids love the computer and use it on their own but I only wish there was more educational material there,” says KC.
He also says the school doesn´t have internet access and this is limiting the use of the computers.
While OLPC is trying its best to involve the locals and the government to get the infrastructure ready for the laptops, the current pilot project does have its shortcomings.
The laptop scheme made headlines the world over when Negroponte unveiled it in 2005, but it might still take years before the kids in Nepal will benefit.
“Our current goal is to create interest in the communities so that they start demanding the laptops in their community schools,” says Rabi Karmacharya.
Only then might Nepali kids really be able to enjoy 21st century technology in their normal school day.
kushal@myrepublica.com
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