I am sure almost everyone has heard of Mr. Negroponte’s 2005 proposition of the One Laptop Per Child Program (OLPC).

However, I know in the International Development sector there has been heated debate over whether or not this program is actually focusing on the right aspects of education, and whether or not it has been a success at all.

A Wall Street Journal Article recently slammed the project, basically outlining that the project has failed to reach its target numbers and has turned into a competitive, battle of the “computer companies” project.

To be honest, I haven’t been following this story in great detail, but I have tried my best to outline what seems to be the general development arguments for and against this project. In my opinion the outcome is that this project is nowhere near perfect, an perhaps could learn a lot from other international development organizations!

Photo by: topgold

So, what is the problem?

Firstly, the Wall Street Journal Article quotes Nicholas Negroponte as stating that “My goal is not selling laptops. OLPC is not in the laptop business. It’s in the education business.” However, further in the article it outlines the means by which Negroponte has attempted to prevent Intel to stop producing their competitive low-cost computer model. This seems very contradictory to me. If he does not care who makes the computers, all he cares about are the people getting them, then what difference does it make if they are his or somebody elses? I think it is pretty clear that he is happy to hand out these low-cost computers, just as long as they are his own.

Moreover, the cost of each computer was meant to be $100, and in 2008 they still haven’t met that target, with them selling anywhere between $188 plus shipping to $300. Therfore, many of the nations that agreed to purchase computers through this project have not been able to do so, as he has not met the price promised.

So why bother with OLPC at all then?

Because the idea comes from great origins. In many parts of the world, the ability for a child to go to school is entirely dependent upon their transportation. Often the closest schoolhouses are miles from a childs place of residence. Furthermore, the cost of text books for a child in a developing country every year can also be costly. In addition, it can be argued that children in these parts of the world don’t always follow the strict 9 to 5 schedule that we do, education timings revolve around the need for them to help work in the local agricultural setting.

Therefore, by providing children with cheaper laptops that are more durable, students avoid the travel costs, the purchasing of textbook costs (many books can be read online), and they gain the flexibility to study when they want, wherever they want. It is a great concept to bridge the gap between developed and developing nations, however it has not seemed to be very effective.

I believe this is because there was not much foresight involved in the planning of this project. Foresight is one of the most important factors to consider when working on implementing development projects, especially in areas where the economic resources are scarce. It is more than just a matter of simply giving a village a technology and expecting them to run with it.

What has been sucessful about the project then?

It could be argued that by initiating the project to begin with, and that by creating the competition between companies to create low-cost computers for these parts of the world, that OLPC has actually raised awareness of the potential of the market of underpriviliged children, thus opening these companies up to an opportunity to create unique projects that can work for them.

I believe that any improvement in terms of simply increasing access to education in these regions is benefitial.

In addition, I would argue against the negative press about Mr Negroponte using open-source software. I think it is great that he is not giving the authority to any one software company, and instead is implementing software that is free and accesible. Plus, from personal experience software such as the Linux platform is much easier to modify in order to create a software system that works for each individual’s personal technology needs. But hey, I guess that is just my opinion.

Overall..

It seems to me that this initially altruistic effort has been turned into a competition of the technology giants. This is why I feel it is critical to understand what you are going into before launching products like this. If not planned properly the outcomes can be horrendous and further damage the lives of many who already do not have much.

Perhaps the focus needs to be re-established here: looking at what is best for the children who will have access to such a product and how to get them the most out of such an experience.

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 Here is another article discussing the politics around the issue. There seems to be a lot of media circulating that is commenting on this project, it really has made heads turn!