The idea behind the One Laptop per Child programme is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child.
One Laptop Per Child
Founded in 2005 by MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte, the One Laptop per Child programme (OLPC) aims to open up educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing every child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. Fundamentally, it is led by the belief that given the tools (the laptop) children create their own learning (through content and collaboration).
The OLPC site states that "By giving a laptop, you are helping bring education to children in some of the world's most remote areas. You are connecting them to each other, to the world beyond and to a better future.
The core principles of the laptop scheme require ownership to be by children, laptops to be widely available, low cost in terms of running, wireless enabled and for the laptops to use free and open source software."
Education is a Child's Right
In order to accomplish this goal, people need to believe that education for the world’s children is a priority, not a privilege. It's ambitious
and visionary and not without some criticism but to me it represents an
important action towards addressing
the global void in educational provision for all.
For more details please visit laptop.org
empowering children and the less fortunate runs high in my list too. Does the ONLP project help here? Here's a perspective that needs to be considered: http://flosse.dicole.org/?item=thank-you-olpc-maybe-now-we-may-start-to-talk-about-education-again
ReplyDeleteI so believe in the empowerment of people through education, especially so in less developed places. I followed the link and it does give a perspective that is certainly food for thought.
ReplyDeleteLaptops could be replaced by books, and books can be replaced by other stimuli - each can have their own cultural bias and appropriacy for the given situation.
Clearly there are different perspectives on this, and whilst no model is perfect, the fundamental message here is that we all have a right to quality education. That of course, comes after food, safety, care etc. in a place like Afghanistan.
I heard about this only a few days ago, and it made me smile. The idea of laptops in poor Pukhtun kids' hands ... looking like the kids in the above pic...
ReplyDeleteBut then I thought about it and wondered if this is a grand idea. No, I mean, it's grand in every way, but isn't it far more costly than perhaps some alternative moves towards a good quality education for poor kids?
By the way, is this still going on or did they stop?
It's a major need, Qrratugai, to empower our children, to bring education and literacy.
ReplyDeleteThere are other alternatives to the laptop program, but I agree, the photo is great.