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POA Educational Foundation and Ministry of Education, Government of
Nepal, recently entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to launch a
pilot project for developing e-infrastructure in Nepali schools. The pilot
project is based on 10 high schools in Katmandu.
Contingent upon the results and experience from this pilot study, POA hopes to
launch the project in all schools of Nepal at different stages.
The pilot project was conceptualized by two prominent NRNs: Dr.
Shiva Gautam and fully funded by Mr. Aditya Jha of POA Educational Foundation
through Nepal Library Foundation of Canada. Dr. Gautam is a faculty at Harvard Medical School USA,
and Mr. Jha is a Canada
based philanthropist and entrepreneur (www.karmacandy.ca
& www.osellus.com ).
During this pilot project each of the following10 schools were
provided with five Pentium III computers and one printer to establish 10 e-Libraries
in the selected schools. The following schools were chosen by the Ministry of
Education.
1. Gyuheshowari
2. Nandi Ratri
3. Kanya Mandir
4. Jana Kalyan
5. Ratna Rajya
6. Baal Bikash
7. Jana Bikash
8. Geeta Mata
9. Nil Barahi
10.Gandhi Aadarsha
The students and teacher will receive training on basic computer
skills. The computers were collected and refurbished by World Computer Exchange
(WCE) (www.wce.com) a non-profit organization
in the US, and then shipped
to Nepal by COPPADES (www.coppades.com) also a non-profit
organization in Nepal.
Bridging the digital
divide
Digital divide has now emerged as a strong indicator of overall
socioeconomic divide. Bridging this gap should be one of the priorities of new Nepal.
Information technology is playing the central role in creating a new global economic
order. Bridging the digital divide is a precondition for Nepal to be able to take a quantum
leap towards becoming integrated into the global virtual economy.
There are no other better front than
schools and communities where the first step towards narrowing the digital
divide should be taken.
One of the UN Millennium Development
Goals (MDG), agreed by UN member states, requires making available "the
benefits of new technologies-especially information and communication
technologies". One of the debates
in the context of introducing e-learning in Nepal could be: should information technology like e-library get
priority over addressing citizens' basic needs? The answer lies in the fact
that computer/e-library is part of the ongoing development efforts that address
the most basic needs, such as building more classrooms and providing clean
water. According to experts, ICTs can be
part of the solution and e-learning should be considered a critical facet of
basic development, an alternative medium of capacity-building and a means to
people's empowerment.
The usefulness,
benefits and impact of e-learning on the students are well known.. For example, studies have shown
that students usually learn more in classes in which they
receive computer-based instruction, learn their lessons in less time with
computer- based instruction and like their classes more when they receive
computer help. Besides being connected
to the world with the information on the finger tip could be helpful to access
to various teaching material and learn about the world and prepare them for the
challenges of tomorrow.
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e-infrastructure pilot project for Nepali schools 
