One laptop per child for all in Niue

The tiny island of Niue in South Pacific is an autonomous territory with a population of just under 1500. Surprisingly, the island boasts a high literacy rate of 95%, which is commensurate with that in Portugal. Supposedly to maintain the population’s literacy and reinforce modernized education, region's authorities implemented the one laptop per child policy (OLPC) in Niue. Considering children make one third of Niue’s population, all it took was 500 laptops.

The region’s leaders claim giving children free laptops “has the potential to revolutionize education in ways that are difficult to imagine.”

Although all inhabitants of the island have free Internet access since 2003, one still has to have a laptop to be able to connect. The specially designed waterproof and breakproof, simple two hundred dollar laptops are meant to do just that...give children a gateway to "the rest" of the world.

The one laptop per child initiative is backed financially by Google and News Corporation, while Microsoft and Intel ignored it. The initiative involves distributing laptops to children in the Pacific region, Mongolia, Haiti, Peru, Borneo, Senegal and many other countries.

And, it is not the first time that Niueans are setting records. Just recently, they made headlines by becoming the world’s first nation to go 100% smoke-free (previous coverage).

With free Internet, no smokers and drop-dead stunning nature, I am surprised that Niue has zero immigration rate. Might as well consider moving down there at some point.