[Gllug] Schools Software

[John Winters]

Chris Bell wrote:
> Hello,
>    I have often been told that schools use computers supplied under long
> term comprehensive and very restrictive commercial contracts, that the
> schools are not alowed to modify the hardware or software themselves, that
> the curriculum requires Microsoft software, etc, etc.
>    How much of this is ignorance, FUD, urban myth?

I suspect quite a lot.

I can't speak for schools in general, but the one I teach at has 
computer systems provided by an independent contractor who handles 
several local schools.  Systems are mostly (but not entirely) Microsoft 
based.  We're fairly restricted about what we can do with them, but I 
suspect this has more to do with the lack of technical skill of the 
contractor than any kind of overriding rules.

Computers are replaced on a rolling schedule - in the five years that 
I've been there I think every computer has been replaced.

I'm changing to a new school in September and that one is entirely 
Mac-based.

The ICT curriculum is a bit of a joke, at least at GCSE level.  If you 
sat down with an exam paper you're biggest barrier to getting full marks 
would be not knowing all the little fictions that the curriculum 
teaches.  You'd pass, but you might find it hard to get an A*.  From my 
perusing of papers however, I've seen very little specific to Microsoft 
software.

John
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