One netbook per child in Argentina

Programa Conectar Igualdad (Connect Equality Programme) is a key initiative of Argentina President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner launched in April 2010 (see: Act Nº 459/10 ). It will seek to distribute 3 million netbooks by the end of 2013. To date 2.5 million have already been delivered. This project is specifically designed to improve educational equality and reduce Argentina’s digital literacy gap. 

I’d like now to share with you a very interesting Case Study Report carried out by Intel Education Transformation research, which makes a thoroughly description of this pioneering 1:1 technology integration program called Conectar Igualdad. 

As a future English Teacher, I consider this project of great importance since not all Argentinian students have access to this fascinating world of technologies and internet. This project seeks not only for a better public education, but also for equality and integration. In order to be a fully functional citizen in our 21st Century world, students need opportunities to develop their digital skills. What’s more, accessibility to new digital tools directly influences humans understanding of how our world functions. The concept of power is of absolute importance when talking about literacy skills and now digital skills, too. As Ignacio Ramonet explains in his article “El mundo en 2030” published in Le Monde Diplomatique magazine (May, 2013)  “(…) la generalización del acceso de la Red y la universalización del uso de las nuevas tecnologías permitirán a la ciudadanía alcanzar altas cuotas de libertad y desafiar a sus representantes políticos (…)”. To sum up, giving one netbook per child not only shrinks global distances, but also provides disadvantaged Argentinian kids and adolescents with something that should be equal for everybody, Rights.

If you would like to read Ignacio Ramonet's article "El mundo en 2030", click here