Comments on: The OLPC is Inappropriate for India http://www.deeshaa.org/2009/05/13/the-olpc-is-inappropriate-for-india/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:41:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: rohit_indian http://www.deeshaa.org/2009/05/13/the-olpc-is-inappropriate-for-india/comment-page-1/#comment-141949 rohit_indian Sun, 17 May 2009 06:11:02 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/?p=2277#comment-141949 You have hinted at some places in your blog posts about allowing private players to enter education market and let them solve this problem but this particular topic deserves more detailed separate blog post I would say. Also how do you see a school can be self sustaining entity. I am not sure if shall consider donations by Alumni and Government aid (do they really want to aid those poor students ? I would strongly disagree). So how the schools economic model can be established so as to solve the problem of education of poor kids. Or we are simply mercy of the Government here ? I believe for the private players to really interested in the market , there has to be profit in it. I am just not very clear about what and how can it be done. Atanu If you would like to share your thoughts about this aspect of education , It would really be very helpful. You have hinted at some places in your blog posts about allowing private players to enter education market and let them solve this problem but this particular topic deserves more detailed separate blog post I would say. Also how do you see a school can be self sustaining entity. I am not sure if shall consider donations by Alumni and Government aid (do they really want to aid those poor students ? I would strongly disagree). So how the schools economic model can be established so as to solve the problem of education of poor kids. Or we are simply mercy of the Government here ? I believe for the private players to really interested in the market , there has to be profit in it. I am just not very clear about what and how can it be done. Atanu If you would like to share your thoughts about this aspect of education , It would really be very helpful.

]]> By: rohit_indian http://www.deeshaa.org/2009/05/13/the-olpc-is-inappropriate-for-india/comment-page-1/#comment-141944 rohit_indian Sun, 17 May 2009 00:03:12 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/?p=2277#comment-141944 In short , this is what i wanted to say. If not OLPC, what is appropriate for India ? In short , this is what i wanted to say. If not OLPC, what is appropriate for India ?

]]> By: rohit_indian http://www.deeshaa.org/2009/05/13/the-olpc-is-inappropriate-for-india/comment-page-1/#comment-141943 rohit_indian Sun, 17 May 2009 00:02:24 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/?p=2277#comment-141943 Of course we might not need OLPC. Well I do not even understand what you liked about that little green thing. I have used it for a while and to be frank it really did not sound attractive to me less being usable. In any case with simple math that you are working out its clear we are not in position to spend anything on such gadgets as its such a limited budget. But I wonder if technology does not have any role to play in solving this education problem. I also agree with the opinion of not doing something only for few students at the expense of destruction of some other's future. It would be interesting to discuss what role technology can play in solving such problems ? Are there any known solutions which somebody else might have already tried ? Who are these people ? And how we can force these government to implement right solution. Also what are our exact problem in case of primary education. Can we even list it down here so as to know we ourselves have understood them clearly. Of course we might not need OLPC. Well I do not even understand what you liked about that little green thing. I have used it for a while and to be frank it really did not sound attractive to me less being usable. In any case with simple math that you are working out its clear we are not in position to spend anything on such gadgets as its such a limited budget. But I wonder if technology does not have any role to play in solving this education problem. I also agree with the opinion of not doing something only for few students at the expense of destruction of some other’s future. It would be interesting to discuss what role technology can play in solving such problems ? Are there any known solutions which somebody else might have already tried ? Who are these people ? And how we can force these government to implement right solution. Also what are our exact problem in case of primary education. Can we even list it down here so as to know we ourselves have understood them clearly.

]]> By: sundaraz http://www.deeshaa.org/2009/05/13/the-olpc-is-inappropriate-for-india/comment-page-1/#comment-141898 sundaraz Fri, 15 May 2009 12:49:08 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/?p=2277#comment-141898 Towards the end of this interview, Bill Gates talks about the same thing;IT is not going to do much for people who do not have access to even electricity http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10257 Towards the end of this interview, Bill Gates talks about the same thing;IT is not going to do much for people who do not have access to even electricity

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10257

]]> By: kapeeshsaraf http://www.deeshaa.org/2009/05/13/the-olpc-is-inappropriate-for-india/comment-page-1/#comment-141871 kapeeshsaraf Wed, 13 May 2009 22:11:25 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/?p=2277#comment-141871 I see your point Atanu. I have a couple of questions. 1. Government sponsored OLPC may be undesirable, and I agree with you there. But what do you think of netbooks as a tool for private education (private schools, individuals, etc)? Especially if good quality learning software is developed. 2. Can you outline the sequence of steps that need to be completed before the OLPC or a similar scheme can be implemented? 3. An analogy that comes to mind is the development of the automobile. When the automobile came along, there was no infrastructure available to support it. But its growing popularity led to the creation of the infrastructure (roads, fuel stations, hotels, etc) that were required to support it. Why do you think that a disruptive innovation (netbooks or something else) will not lead to creation of the missing infrastructure that you talked about? Regards, Kapeesh I see your point Atanu. I have a couple of questions.

1. Government sponsored OLPC may be undesirable, and I agree with you there. But what do you think of netbooks as a tool for private education (private schools, individuals, etc)? Especially if good quality learning software is developed.

2. Can you outline the sequence of steps that need to be completed before the OLPC or a similar scheme can be implemented?

3. An analogy that comes to mind is the development of the automobile. When the automobile came along, there was no infrastructure available to support it. But its growing popularity led to the creation of the infrastructure (roads, fuel stations, hotels, etc) that were required to support it. Why do you think that a disruptive innovation (netbooks or something else) will not lead to creation of the missing infrastructure that you talked about?

Regards,
Kapeesh

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