A Tale of Two Schools OLPC NEPAL. Inside a Rural Classroom

A Tale of Two Schools

OLPC NEPAL

Inside a Rural Classroom

Inside Ullens

Teachers

Teachers

Students

Students

Special ChallengesFor Rural Students

Special ChallengesFor Students

Special ChallengesFor Students

The “Quality Divide”

These Two Schools represent the Quality Divide in Nepali education

Is There any way to bridge this divide?

Looking for a Solution

• In 2001, a group of American Educators formed to find solutions that could bridge the Quality Divide in the Developing World

• Requirements for these solutions

1.Child-centered, Interactive

2.Could be customized to Local Language and Customs

3.Inexpensive

4.Help Children “Learn Learning”

One Laptop Per Child

• In 2002, this group approached Nicholas

Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab

• In 2005, they announced the One Laptop

Per Child Project

One Laptop Per Child

• OLPC designed a durable, inexpensive

laptop computer specifically for children in

developing countries

• Laptop is simply a medium for education

like books, laboratories, toy blocks, etc.

What makes this Laptopso special?

• Designed for Children

• Low Power

• Durable, Robust, Climate protected, and contains only safe, non-toxic materials

• Children can use the laptop to collaborate

• Free software and content based on “Open

Source” principles

A Solution for Nepal

A Solution for Nepal

• We believe that together

1. Digitized national curriculum

2. OLPC “XO” Laptops

3. Extensive teacher training

• Can bridge the Quality Divide

A Solution for a

New Nepal• Extends the reach of

Nepal's strong curriculum

and teacher training

program

• Mother Tongue Education

OLPC Progress

and Strategy

Participating Countries

Countries piloting OLPC in Summer 2007

Countries to pilot in 2008

UAE is committed to purchasing 1 Million laptops for Pakistan

Implementation

• This project can only succeed with the full support and leadership of the MoES and Dept of Education.

• To participate, the MoES and Dept. of Education need to indicate their interest to OLPC

– There is no minimum order requirement

OLPC Nepal

• A Non-Profit Organization dedicated to

helping the Government of Nepal

implement the One Laptop Per Child vision

• Initiated by Shankar Pokharel and Ankur

Sharma while at Nepal Engineering

College

But Nepal is a poor country,why do kids need laptops?

This project is not about technology

It is about providing every child in Nepal with access to the national curriculum in the most appropriate and effective forms

We have a number of measures to discourage the theft and sale of the laptops

Costs

1. Teacher Training

2. Digitization of Curriculum

3. Implementation Support

4. Laptops

This project will require extensive Teacher Training and Support

Financing

Laptop expected to last Five Years

$100 over 5 years -- $20 per year

InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB)

financing OLPC for Argentina and Brazil

UAE purchasing 1 million laptops for Pakistan

Possible Next Steps

1)Create a government Task Force to pursue One Laptop Per Child

2)Digitize and Improvise the Government Curriculum for this laptop and future ICT initiatives

3)Implement Mother Tongue Education Initiatives

4)Include the digitized curriculum and laptop in next year's pilot of the three year education plan

DEMONSTRATION

Questions and Answers