
India buys 250k OLPCs - nigelbruin
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/apr/28/olpc-india
======
nopinsight
_Why has such a noble project initiated and run by top-quality people and
institution fell far short of its original goal?_

Short answer: _Make something people want._ (Y Combinator's motto)

The greatest weakness in OLPC's implementation is perhaps its learning
software, which mostly emphasizes constructionist style of learning.
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructionist_learning>)

People in developing countries don't yet want or need predominantly
constructionist learning style (although I highly respect the method and agree
to its importance in the long run). They need to make sure their youths have
strong basic in math, science, and languages (English and their national
language(s)) first.

In the words of Global Competitiveness Report, most of the world are still in
the factor-driven or efficiency-driven stage of development. Current OLPC
software emphasizes learning style best suited to countries/communities in the
innovation-driven stage.

From my first-hand experience living and working in the education field in
such a country, if OLPC incorporates highly effective learning software &
contents on these essential subjects into its machines, it would make a much
easier sale to governments and people of these countries.

------
nebula
A must read for anybody interested in education and development related
matters in third world countries in general and in India in particular:
[http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/02/07/thoughts-on-the-
education-...](http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/02/07/thoughts-on-the-education-
and-olpc/)

The gist of the matter is that OLPC is a bad thing for India at large. Why?
because India doesn't have the resources. There are thousands of schools
without a blackboard and a chalk mainly due to lack of resources and
corruption in the Govt. And in general teaching can be done without computers.
Now if a country that can't afford blackboards and toilets goes shopping for
computers, it comes at a cost: more schools that would be without teachers or
any other basic amenities.

~~~
Mgreen
Computer education is compulsory as part of curriculum in high schools here in
Kerala(south Indian state).Every state controlled schools, no matter how
remote, does have computers and trained teachers.

The government has so many programs (akshaya.net) in place to make sure that
everyone(not just students) get access to good education. Education is one
thing the Kerala government has done right. Having said that , i dont really
know the situation in other parts of India.The point is , its not as bad as
you think.

~~~
SingAlong
Every country has urban and rural areas. So maybe nebula has seen only the
slums :P and not seen places like Bangalore or Pune or elsewhere.

Anyway, OLPC-India targets govt schools. And if given to the state of Kerala,
I would fully support it. Kerala is the state with the highest literacy rate
(sometime back I heard it's 98%. so their state govt seem to be efficient in
the area of education). There are govts that are corrupt. And I guess some of
those OLPCs will go to corrupt bureaucrat's kids. But still a part of it would
reach those for whom it was bought - the govt school kids. Many schools don't
have blackboards? The situation won't get worse anyway. Think of it as money
being used for a purpose rather than going to another bureaucrat's pocket in
lump some.

P.S: Even if one of those who got an OLPC, gets bitten by the geek-bug /
entrepreneur-bug. Turns out to do something for his locality/surrounding
sometime later. I would say the OLPC has done it's job :)

[full disclosure: I'm from Bangalore]

------
rams
I honestly don't understand how a back-room deal that results in a sale like
this going to help. Clifford Stoll's Silicon Snake Oil, though it sounds a bit
luddite is worth a read. There are problems that deserve far more attention
like basic hygiene and access to primary education.

~~~
ido
In a country like India or Brazil one can (and often does) always argue that
funding for whichever initiative can be better spent on giving food to poor
children.

Micro loans for small businesses? OLPC? English lessons in rural villages?
Subsidizing cheap public transport to far flung areas that the quickly aging
infrastructure doesn't properly service?

How dare you propose such luxuries when children are starving on the streets!!

Quick fact: the Indian government can allocate all of their budget to Feeding
Poor Children and there would still be plenty of malnourished kids begging on
the streets.

~~~
forinti
Another quick fact: South America produces three times the food it consumes.
And another: Brazil's per capita GDP is nearly 4 times India's. Brazil can
feed and educate everybody. The fact that it doesn't (at least the feeding
part is already fixed) is more related to bad government than to lack of
funds.

