Abstract :
Hole-in-the-Wall as a concept has attracted worldwide attention. It involves
providing unconditional access to computer-equipped kiosks in playgrounds
and out-of-school settings, children taking ownership of their learning and
learning driven by the children’s natural curiosity. It is posited that this
approach, which is being used in India, Cambodia and several countries in
Africa, can pave the way for a new education paradigm and be the key to
providing literacy and basic education and bridging the digital divide in remote
and disadvantaged regions. This paper seeks to establish why two such open
access, self-directed and collaborative learning systems failed to take root in the
Central Himalaya communities of Almora and Hawalbagh.The purpose of this
study is not to deny the achievements and potential of such an approach in
other settings, but to examine the tenets and sustainability of such initiatives.
It is argued that there is a need to distinguish between Hole-in-the-Wall as an
idea and as an institution and to reflect on the key suppositions on how unsupervised
access, informal, public, self-guided and collaborative work can help
in children’s learning.
