[sclug] Free Software and education (fwd)

[Simon Heywood]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 12:32:14 +0000
From: Richard Smedley <richard.smedley at futurenet.co.uk>

Hello everyone,

I'd be grateful if you'd forward this to your LUGs -
I'd also be interested to hear of any experiences
(negative or positive) that anyone has had in
talking to schools about using Free Software.

- Richard
richard at sc.lug.org.uk





http://mailman.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/press-release/2003q1/000048.html :

   FSF Europe welcomes the TUX&GNU at school  column

January, 7th 2003
Hamburg/Essen/Valais

   The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Europe officially welcomes Mario
   Fux' TUX&GNU at school <mailto:GNU at school> column whose future editions will be published
   under the umbrella of the FSF Europe.

   Each edition of the column contains a presentation of a Free educational
   software program, valuable tips to web sites that deal with Free Software
   and education, user testimonies as well as suggestions for new small
   programs for pupils and teachers. All editions will be published in
   German and English first.

   The FSF Europe provides infrastructure and an organizational framework,
   such as web space and mailing lists for lectors and translators. With
   this support, Mario Fux continues to write his column. The column is
   free documentation and the GNU Free Documentation License (GNU
   FDL) and will be developed in an open manner. In consequence, any
   interested person can work on the project as a lector or translator.

   TUX&GNU at school <mailto:GNU at school> is a logical step to extend the promotion of Free Software
   in the educational sector. Mario Fux emphasizes: "GNU/Linux and Free
   Software in schools have become at least as viable as proprietary
   software in the meantime" and continues: "I'm again and again surprised
   how big the choice of Free educational programs is", contradicting
   critics of Free Software who often claim a lack of applications for
   the GNU platform.

   Also the didactic and social aspects of the use of Free Software in
   schools are of special importance:
   "In the past, computer science education has concentrated too much
   teaching products instead of comprehension", says Georg C.F. Greve,
   President of the FSF Europe. Greve continues: "Free Software enables
   the interactive understanding of outer and inner workings of a computer
   and furthermore ensures an equality of chances for all pupils".

   The FSF Europe thanks Mario Fux for his hitherto efforts and looks
   forward to his future editions, which are available at
   http://www.fsfeurope.org/education/tgs/ .

About the Free Software Foundation Europe

   The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSF Europe) is a charitable
   non-governmental organization dedicated to all aspects of Free
   Software in Europe. Access to software determines who may participate
   in a digital society. Therefore the freedoms to use, copy, modify and
   redistribute software - as described in the Free Software definition -
   allow equal participation in the information age. Creating awareness
   for these issues, securing Free Software politically and legally, and
   giving people freedom by supporting development of Free Software are
   central issues of the FSF Europe, which was founded in 2001 as the
   European sister organization of the Free Software Foundation in the
   United States.

   http://www.fsfeurope.org

Contact

   FSF Europe:
   Georg C. F. Greve   <greve at fsfeurope.org <mailto:greve at fsfeurope.org>>
   phone: +49-40-23809080
   fax:   +49-40-23809081

   TUX&GNU at school  column:
   Mario Fux           <foxman at lugo.ch <mailto:foxman at lugo.ch>>