CONNECT A SCHOOL, CONNECT A COMMUNITY

A full-scale, one-to-one LCCD program typically exceeds the resources of most developing nations. Consider Nepal, where the government has drastically raised the education budget, planning to spend USD 688 million for the 2009/2010 school year.43 Assuming a price of USD 150 for each LCCD, and with 4.4 million primary students, the cost of providing each Nepalese pupil with an LCCD would be USD 663 million -- practically the entire education budget. In addition, if countries opt for the one-to-one model, they need to realize that this is a long-term commitment, since each year there will be a new class of children that will require their own new laptops. Most LCCD programs are conceived as public-private partnerships so that costs can be spread among various parties. In addition, some vendors sponsor initial donations of computers for pilot projects. Somewhat surprisingly, development assistance has yet to be significant in this area, despite the educational potential and economic importance of access to ICTs.