The trans-continent initiative in Latin America that started with Uruguay purchasing 100,000 low cost laptops from the OLPC project for use in its primary education system is being replicated across the continent. Peru has purchased 590,000 of the devices, Argentina has purchased 250,000 Intel Classmate PC laptops and Brazil is embracing this initiative with an order for 1.5 million such devices. An evaluation from the Inter American Development Bank expects there to be 30 million such devices Latin America for use in education by 2015.
Uruguay has committed to providing every child in primary school their own device for use at school and home. These are not wealthy nations; this reflects a commitment to raising levels of basic skills and educational performance across the continent. While such aims are targeted in the future, supporting this level of infrastructure will develop a technology industry today similar in manner to the capability and industry that developed in the UK and the USA during the early 80’s with the BBC micro-comoputer and Apple II, Commodore Pet etc. It could be argued that access to low cost devices such as these kick started the e-learning and computer industry in the UK and USA, something Latin America may be trying to emulate.
There was some criticism of the OLPC device, its interface and impact but three years on few can doubt its influence in creating a whole new class of devices and the evidence above would seem to vindicate its value as a catalyst for change.
With the next generation OLPC tablet under development rumoured to cost $75 and run the Android Operating system it has the potential to change a generation. http://tinyurl.com/2ugv6ap
Good to see the diversity of devices that these mass Latin American schemes are using. Soon ALT will have a relevant announcement about keynote speakers at the 2011 ALT conference in Leeds next September.