One Laptop Per Child [2] (OLPC) has had its fair share of critique and controversy, but if any of that is putting a damper on the project, someone forgot to tell its founder, MIT Media’ Lab’s Nicholas Negroponte [3]--now he's partnered with IT consulting group, Virtusa [4], which has decided [5] to run user scenarios and tests to help improve the software and hardware behind OLPC.

Critics of the laptop plan have asked: Why put so much energy and money into developing a simple, inexpensive, durable laptop and education software, when the true need lies in creating a quality educational ecosystem that relies heavily on trained teachers and only to a limited extent, on tools such as the OLPC XO laptop?

Virtusa, no doubt experienced in technology in developing countries, could help answer that as it continues to support OLPC--in war-torn Sri Lanka, no less, where Internet usage is only about 5.5% of the population. About 1,300 laptops have been distributed for 13 rural schools. Would teacher training make a bigger impact? The debate goes on for now. Answers, hopefully, soon.

[Top Image via flickr/jsbarrie [6]; thumbnail image via flickr/Rodrigo Mesquita [7]]