Teachers versus Technology in Peru

Education in Peru: A disappointing return from an investment in computing
Apr 7th 2012
http://www.economist.com/node/21552202

GIVING a child a computer does not seem to turn him or her into a future Bill Gates—indeed it does not accomplish anything in particular. That is the conclusion from Peru, site of the largest single programme involving One Laptop per Child, an American charity with backers from the computer industry and which is active in more than 30 developing countries around the world.

The April, Americas edition of the Economist reports that the Inter-American Development Bank has published a paper entitled Technology and Child Development: Evidence from the One Laptop per Child Program in which after an intensive 15-month, 319 rural school study, researchers have found no "empirical" evidence of the programs' success (Download full report here). The article explains that the researchers also found no correlation, or rise, in reading or math scores, improvement in homework, classroom attendance, nor did it find an increase in motivation, as was initially hypothesized. The article states that although Peru has "one of Latin America's worst education systems," an increase in the country's revenues from mining operations allowed for a $225m investment in 850,000 basic laptops. Yet, as touched on above, test scores and literacy rates remain low throughout the country. Of course, as you may or may not know, the model is supported through the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, whose website illustrates:

Roughly 2 million children and teachers in Latin America are currently part of an OLPC project, with another 500,000 in Africa and the rest of the world. Our largest national partners include Uruguay (the first major country in the world to provide every elementary school child with a laptop), Peru (our largest deployment, involving over 8,300 schools), Argentina, Mexico, and Rwanda. Other significant projects have been started in Gaza, Afghanistan, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Mongolia. Every school represent a learning hub, a node in a globally shared resource for learning.

See video for more information:

Other sources, such as PC Mag cite a lack of internet connectivity as a central issue and links the results to a lack of "high quality, complementary" education. However, the Examiner says it best, I believe, with their title: Technology doesn't improve education, Teachers do. Also, see Mashable and ZD Net for further commentary and information.


Initially, I have to admit, I was surprised by the results of the study. I anticipated that the implementation of computer technology in Latin American classrooms would surely bring much-needed changes that would hopefully level the playing field for students who have not grown up with a "computer lab" or "computer class", as I myself did, and many students in the First World, or developed countries, had in their early primary years of study. Nonetheless, it makes perfect sense as to why this program is not succeeding at this point in Peru. It seems that you cannot restructure current education systems by simply dropping materials into the classroom. It appears to be a false expectation/misconception that was not clearly organized or addressed at the onset in order to "make a real difference." I put those words in quotation marks because of course, these differences are going to be interpreted differently across participating countries, cultures and people.


This blog entry is unique in that this is the first time Sigue is writing on Peru -- hopefully we can continue to examine this program and its progress in Peru. Certainly this is interconnectedness at its central core, however, a quick look at the people involved in the operation and development of OLPC initiative screams: where is the educational component and where are the education experts? Of course laptops are not a "magic cure-all", as one blogger laments. Shouldn't interconnectedness involve a greater listening process? I propose a more flexible model that takes into account already existing structures in order to build on already-exisitng education systems with the use of technology and not through it. Additionally, it is possible, gasp, that economic investments would be better off in other sectors rather than technology, such as continuing education/training for teachers.


On a personal note, I have taught in a Montessori school where I have had every tool at my disposal -- a dream classroom for some. However, as readers are aware, I currently work for the Barrio Planta Project (BPP), which does struggle in terms of materials and supplies. I must say that my current work has forced me to be more creative and dynamic in not only lesson planning and curriculum, but in the general way in which I teach and reach students. That, I believe, the core of quality education and while we would certainly welcome a computer lab, we know that strong, educated and motivated teachers make for strong, educated motivated students -- period. What are your thoughts?