Quote:
Originally Posted by CommonReader
Err, what? They provided 60,000 US$ worth of equipment for a school in Ghana and they consider it as a great success that this improved reading at that school? How did the control group do, the school that received 60,000 US$ for paper books?
With a breakage rate of over 40% the school would have to spend almost 25,000 US$ p.a. just to maintain the current equipment level. Without continuous external funding the project would therefore basically be dead after just two years. Can you imagine what their school library would look like if they could spend that sort of money on conventional books for a couple of years?
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I'm afraid I have to agree with CommonReader - I think the $ would have been far better spent on Phys-texts , and would have helped far more children.
And the "small step" suggestion doesn't impress me a lot - it might be a good move for Amazon, but is it the best way to help the most children to a position of possessing a good basic education, so they can have a better life now.
And do /will the children keep these all their school lives, if the benefits are so good ?
And if so, will they have to give them up on leaving ? Not that it's likely that many would last that long, with current technology........
And, may I ask, what happened to the children and the readers after the year was up ?
And I have to say, the stated claim that, gosh, wait for it, yes, "................only 2 of the 600 devices were lost or stolen......" sounds almost patronising to my ear - a touch of the "which is good considering it's Ghana" attitude.
[ Or is it just that they know a lot more would "disappear" here in the West, so we won't be trying it over here ! ]
What is much more relevant is the 40+% breakage/breakdown figure - that's 240 out of 600 didn't last the year.
I don't question the good intentions behind this, rather, is this pilot self-sustainable in a poor country, and the best way to help the most at the present time ?
Because, especially in these straitened times, I very much doubt if it would be sustainable even in the "developed"/ "not quite as cash-rich as we used to think we were", nations.
Or are still-rich businesses, corporations and individuals prepared to open their wallets ?
