One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) - Research Paper Example

One Laptop Per Child We all know that the present era of the twenty first century is an era of intense competition. To survive in this competitive world ; universalisation of education or at least elementary education is very important. Keeping this fact in mind most countries regard the Right to Education as a Fundamental Right. However , the implementation of this right is limited by the most contentious issue- finance. Providing a good quality education system to all children would require huge finance which is quiet difficult for developing economies .

this is where one laptop per child program steps in. an initiative of one laptop per child association , which is a US based non-profit organization , the OLPC program aims to educate and empower the children of developing economies by providing them fully connected laptops. According to laptopfoundation.org the OLPC foundation’s mission is to stimulate local grassroots initiatives designed to enhance and sustain over them the effectiveness of laptops as learning-tools for children living in lesser-developed countries.

Functioning under the chairmanship of Nicholas Negroponte ; the foundation has undertaken a very noble cause of providing quality education to the future citizens of the lesser developed countries. Children from disadvantageous contexts usually remain confined within the perceptive limitations surrounding them. This confinement usually limits their potentialities. The feeling of deprivation ends up demeaning and devaluing the existing abilities and aspirations which in turn blocks the self learning process which is vital for the development of every individual.

Such individuals are often underestimated with low expectations from their performances. Thus , in order to enable these children to compete with their global counterparts , the mission of the OLPC foundation is to design a low cost – high quality laptop that would revolutionize the education pattern of world’s children. Exposure to this new technology would provide ample opportunities to the children to freely explore and experiment themselves.

A laptop teaches beyond instructions. It will deliver a whole new world to these children. They would actively engage in learning through doing , sharing knowledge , and this will bring out the best practices in them . A point worth noticing is that if each child gets an access to the computer or a laptop , phenomenal amount of potential can be trapped which may solve a number of problems without much efforts . According to laptop.

org In 2002 MIT professor , Nicholas Negroponte experienced first hand how connected laptops transformed the lives of children and their families in a remote Cambodian village. The laptop also called the XO laptop is a small and compact machine serving a huge cause . Size of a textbook , this machine is designed with a unique screen that can withstand hot and humid conditions. It is easily readable under direct sunlight. It is a boon for children studying outdoors.

It has an in-built wireless and also provides local language support. The XO laptop has been supplied to a number of countries like Ethiopia , Haiti , Afghanistan , Australia , Cambodia , Mongolia , Rwanda etc. Almost all schools , where XO laptop is supplied have reported an increase in the attendance as the children engage in exploring their own potential to emerge with an incredible power to transform the world. In the end I would like to conclude that One Laptop Per Child is a fantastic program started by the OLPC foundation.

This Endeavour aimed at provides a springboard to young children as they get a window to peek into the outside world. In order to make world a better place to live in it becomes the moral duty of each one of us to come forward and contribute for this noble cause. Any help and contribution, great or small is highly appreciated by the foundation. Works cited Laptopfoundation.org . n.p. n.d. Web . 27 Feb 2010. Laptop.org . n.p. n.d. Web . 28 Feb 2010.