Elizabeth's nepal education blog : The digital divide

One of the problems in this country is the huge gap between the very rich, living in luxury and the very poor and marginalised who we are helping. While every wealthy , westernised nepali youth will have a computer and smart phone, and computers available at school, the poor and those living in remote regions have no access at all to computers or the internet. This " digital divide" means that they cannot access the well paid jobs in the cities and abroad which require digital skills. Therefore many thousands of young men travel to the gulf states to work for several years as labourers to support their families back home. Also, students in schools without computers are denied access to the wealth of free teaching and learning resources now available on line .
The government is committed to providing a computer in every government school and internet connection within 5 years but implementation of this laudable policy presents many challenges.
Several INGO's , including our own project here, are helping with implementation and teacher training. A generous New Zealand donor ( TAP-technology Alleviating Poverty) is providing 20 laptops each together with teacher training and support for many government schools in remote regions and we are involved in the logistics of getting these "computer labs" set up in some of our partner schools. With electricity supplies so erratic here, solar panels provide power to recharge the computer batteries. The whole community is involved in securing and using these computers so that they become a sustainable resource for all ages to use.
The UK is recognised as a world leader in computer education is schools and I was invited this week to be part of an expert panel discussing this issue at a conference for 150 nepali teachers and lecturers. The conference was organised by a well known American computer company who generously sponsors computer training and software access for developing countries like Nepal. In the afternoon we had group work sessions learning about training grants and sponsorships. One fascinating session showcased the next generation of computers, a pair of goggles that enables the wearer to access multiple screens, holograms and virtual displays using their fingertips . It was bizarre to be looking at such an expensive gadget in Kathmandu when so many rural schools do not even have good buildings after the earthquake damage!