[GLLUG] Free Open Source Software and UK Education

[Chris Bell]

On Tue 20 Nov, Bernard Peek wrote:
> 

> 
> Take a look at the Computing At School web site. There are a number of 
> open-source and free software advocates involved in the project. One of 
> the key open-source projects is scratch.
> 
> http://scratch.mit.edu/
> 
   The BETTshow is normally HUGE and I have not yet read through the
exhibitor list for 2013, but there could already be some stands booked for
individual FOSS projects. Most projects are now web based, so system
independant. Up till recently the government based stands pushed Microsoft
and refused to acknowledge FOSS, although some individual stands did mention
something like "also works with Linux". At BETT 2012 staff on government
stands simply refused to suggest or recommend any OS, but very few had even
heard of FOSS.
   One major problem is that many schools have contracted out all their IT
systems, and are only allowed to request facilities from their supplier. I
have previously been asked to install a small IT network which had to have
absolutely no connection to their existing setup so as not to infringe their
existing contract.

-- 
Chris Bell www.chrisbell.org.uk
Microsoft sells you Windows ... Linux gives you the whole house.