[Gllug] Gllug Digest, Vol 78, Issue 56

[pmgazz]

I was approached recently by a school near Brighton (UK) who wanted to
sort out their dire CMS. Looked into it, seems their local education
authority required them to use a specific Microsoft Certified supplier
-- rarely seen such comprehensively enforced lock-in in my life and I
get the impression that LEAs often enforce this kind of lock-in.

On top of that, experience with NGOs teaches me that besides the FUD
factor instilled by their existing suppliers, they'll have all kinds of
multifunction printers, video equipment and god-knows-what that doesn't
have adequate (or any) Linux driver. Schools are also full of all kinds
of non-Linux-friendly kit - including whiteboards. I think it'd need
serious buy-in by officialdom for sensible planning - they would be able
to make a substantial case to whiteboard (and other hardware)
manufacturers that it'd be worth their while to provide adequate Linux
drivers. Most of their data will probably be in proprietary formats too.

I certainly think it'd be worth running demos of Edubuntu and try to
start building enthusiasm for Linux in schools from the ground up - in
my experience, teachers love it (or don't care what system is used) -
it's usually bureacrats who've had all manner of FUD banged into their
heads. But I think it'll be a gradual process, the migration issues are
usually far from insubstantial.

Paula
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:45:56 +0000
> From: Bernard Peek <bap at shrdlu.com>
> Subject: Re: [Gllug] Technology and UK Education
> To: gllug at gllug.org.uk
> Message-ID: <4B3B5994.5050908 at shrdlu.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 30/12/2009 12:37, Martin A. Brooks wrote:
>   
>> On 30/12/2009 12:15, Walter Stanish wrote:
>>    
>>     
>>>>    I was told that if anyone wished to provide a service to or for schools
>>>> it is now a government requirement that they should bid for a total
>>>> comprehensive contract, providing everything from building and building
>>>> maintenance services to waste management as well as educational facilities.
>>>> Start by finding a plumber, an electrician, a bricklayer, and a roofer.
>>>>        
>>>>         
>>> I'm not sure if you have them in this country but in Australia there's a
>>> sort of 'parent and citizen' group associated with each government school
>>> which has some degree of lobbying power as the representative body of the
>>> local community in school administrative affairs.
>>>      
>>>       
>> We have the Parent Teacher Association.
>>
>>    
>>     
>
> PTAs are a possible route into schools. for FOSS. They do a lot of 
> fundraising and are likely to be sympathetic to any suggestions for 
> saving money. They may have people with some knowledge of Linux, 
> although that's a long shot. All of them would appreciate some 
> tech-savvy volunteers. Or any volunteers.
>
> There's another route. Most schools use interactive whiteboards, often 
> in every classroom. The market-leader is Smartboards distributed in the 
> UK by Steljes (www.steljes.co.uk)
>
> The manufacturer Smart (http://smarttech.com/) does have some Linux 
> driver software but Steljes don't have the resources (or as far as I 
> know the will) to support it in the UK. FOSS will get nowhere in UK 
> schools unless all of the major interactive whiteboard brands have 
> adequate Linux support. It's a cool technology and hasn't really 
> penetrated much outside of the education sector in the UK.
>
>
>
>   

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