[Gllug] OSS in schools

Chris Bell chrisbell at overview.demon.co.uk
Sat Oct 14 12:52:07 UTC 2006


On Sat 14 Oct, Simon Morris wrote:
> Forwarded on from the LUGMasters mailing list.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> ~sm

   I agree that the IT ability at many schools is poor, and the government
is doing as much to improve things as in any other science and technology
courses. The corriculum and the exams are tailored to just surviving with
one OS, and the management services are generally tailored around that OS.
   I am not a teacher, but have been to the BETT education show every year
since I stumbled across it at the Barbican (I was working elsewhere in the
Barbican, and wondered in after I finished work). Almost every stand is now
centred on Microsoft products, with a few from RM and Apple.
   There were about three government-provided stands at the last BETT show,
and I asked at each about OSS. I was told that if I wanted to get an IT
related service contract I must first find a builder, plumber, electrician,
corgi registered gas fitter, etc, because schools are now obliged to arrange
a total, all consuming contract, covering every service that could be
required by a school. There was to be no separate partial contract.
   My only experience from helping a school was that the school staff were
not allowed to do anything to the hardware or software provided by the
contractor, so were installing a few extra facilities which were to be
totally independant of their existing contract.
   There are at least two regular exhibitions relating to education, the
next being BETT at Olympia, January 10-13 2007 and The Education Show at the
NEC Birmingham, March 22-24 2007. Go along and see for yourself.
   I heard recently about a Polish family that returned to Poland after a
few years in England, but had to come back to England because their children
were so far behind the rest of the school in Poland. The general impression
was that it is important to attend school in England, but learn something in
Poland.




-- 
Chris Bell

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