[Bradford] Response to NonMS schools petition

[David Parkin]

David,
You try googling BECTA. They have, in the past, been criticised for commisioning work on OSS from a company with no experience of OSS, losing £200m of taxpayers money (on the current M$ deal). I seem to recall that early on they supported OOXML, like the rest of HMG; looking at the response to the petition, it seems that their current stance is based on opposition the the terms of the contract on offer from M$. For many state schools the issue is not BECTA but the deals that the local authority (or SERCO, as Bradfordians call it) impose on the schools.   
http://www.theregister.co..uk/2008/06/13/becta_open_source_schools/
http://www.educause.edu/blog/StuartYeates/BECTAattackedontwofrontsoverop/166521


David


________________________________
From: David Carpenter <david.carpenter at nornir.co.uk>
To: bradford <bradford at mailman.lug.org.uk>
Sent: Monday, 28 September, 2009 9:55:39
Subject: [Bradford] Response to NonMS schools petition

The response to the NonMS schools petition:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/nonMSschools/

Has been published:

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page20711

Interesting, Becta doesn't come across badly in my opinion. The link
from the response - while kind of not 100% on the mark makes interesting
reading:
http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=35287&CFID=3039363&CFTOKEN=a137e9f25b9bd7a6-039B1B27-E009-1FF0-287783710978C9D8

What's quite clear is that they'd like to see the adoption of open
document formats in schools. - AND there is a requirement to educate
parents about free-to-use alternatives.

Food for thought, fuel for action?

Cheers
David 

-- 
David Carpenter

nornir

E: david.carpenter at nornir.co.uk
Skype: carpenter.david

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