Gabriel de Figueiredo. Melbourne - Australia. Wrote
Maybe off-topic but interesting... Snip As to the rest of his stay, "India is overwhelming - wow!". But he was disappointed in the under-utilisation of computers - explained to him that human-power is more valued in India than computer-power, hence five people doing the work that one person would do over here. Hierarchy is very much in vogue in Indian work-practices (whoever heard of a manager washing the dishes in the kitchen in India? Yet my manager does this whenever he sees dirty cups left by visitors overflowing the office sink). end snip Not really of topic Gabriel When I did the first GONAS Teacher Exchange we departed Manchester Airport by car soon after their arrival from India. With myself and the three teachers in the car they were at once given a lesson on how technology assists people with learning skills and raises the aspirations of people undertaking menial jobs. We approached a barrier after the car park and the barrier was down. I had a card for the barrier but had placed it in a pocket in my trousers and needed to undo my seat belt to retrieve the card. The teachers asked where the "man" was. Do men always operate barriers in India? and I told them that we did not have men at barriers now we used the technology to open the barrier. I then put in the card and the barrier raised itself. Of course this raised questions, and after all this exchange visit was for them to raise questions, about putting the man out of work. I explained it like this. The man who used to raise the barrier is now retrained and he now builds barriers, The man who use to build barriers now travels the world and fits the barriers and the man who used to fit barriers is now a senior manager designing the next generation of barriers. Not an ideal explanation I know but good enough to show that people can benefit from technological advances. ( I guess I will get hit hard on this but I have broad shoulders) India needs to use the technology to free many of its citizens from the some of the menial tasks it still does by hand and examine how technology would assist these members of the community to raise their aspirations on a day to day basis. Perhaps opening up the school computer labs n and evening would be a good start Dave -- David Futers [EMAIL PROTECTED] Newbiggin by the Sea http://www.futers.org Northumberland NE64 6NL UNITED KINGDOM
