This document discusses a potential solution to bridge the quality divide in Nepali education through the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project. The OLPC was created to provide durable, inexpensive laptops designed for children in developing countries. The document proposes that providing every Nepali child with access to the national curriculum through OLPC laptops combined with teacher training could help address special challenges for rural students. It outlines next steps such as creating a government task force and piloting the approach.

1. A Tale of Two Schools OLPC NEPAL

2. Inside a Rural Classroom

3. Inside Ullens

4. Teachers

5. Teachers

6. Students

7. Students

8. Special Challenges For Rural Students

9. Special Challenges For Students

10. Special Challenges For Students

11. The “Quality Divide” These Two Schools represent the Quality Divide in Nepali education Is There any way to bridge this divide?

12. 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 Child-centered, Interactive Could be customized to Local Language and Customs Inexpensive Help Children “Learn Learning”

13. 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

14. 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.

15. What makes this Laptop so 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

16. A Solution for Nepal

17. A Solution for Nepal We believe that together Digitized national curriculum OLPC “XO” Laptops Extensive teacher training Can bridge the Quality Divide

18. A Solution for a New Nepal Extends the reach of Nepal's strong curriculum and teacher training program Mother Tongue Education

19. OLPC Progress and Strategy

20. Participating Countries Countries piloting OLPC in Summer 2007 Countries to pilot in 2008 UAE is committed to purchasing 1 Million laptops for Pakistan

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. Costs Teacher Training Digitization of Curriculum Implementation Support Laptops This project will require extensive Teacher Training and Support

25. 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

26. Possible Next Steps Create a government Task Force to pursue One Laptop Per Child Digitize and Improvise the Government Curriculum for this laptop and future ICT initiatives Implement Mother Tongue Education Initiatives Include the digitized curriculum and laptop in next year's pilot of the three year education plan

27. DEMONSTRATION

28. Questions and Answers