[Sussex] Schools

[Geoffrey J. Teale]

"berto" <berto at berto.org> writes:

> the problem i see with this comes back to the age old argument, what
> are they used to using? Most people especially I have noticed school
> kids do not care about how x & y works they just want it to work and
> micro$oft stuff generally does that, having it so the kids use Linux
> with OO and who knows what else at school and then at home they use
> Windows and MS Office, it could cause more damage then do good.

There is an essence of truth about what you're saying.  I've had a
little exposure to the educational issue through the FSF and I've even
spent time speaking to IT people from a couple of schools, so I've a
couple of points to add. 

Firstly a lot of the time schools purchasing policies are defined by
whatever their LEA's approved suppliers say.  Like many places the
policy is not to question this too much and assume that they are doing
what is required.  The only way this will change for _most_ schools is
if a directive comes from above the LEA level.  This report (and the
coverage given to it by the TES) is special because it represents a
move in that direction.

Secondly, the combined result of Tesco's "Computers for schools"
campaign and the history of hardware purchases (and the long shelf
life schools require for their investment), many schools are using
very odd combinations of hardware.  My nephews schools has a few
Windows machines, a few Mac's (mostly from the aforementioned
"Computers for schools" program) and some older boxes running DOS.

As for stuff "just working" - school networks don't "just work" they
are hooked up by people with at least a vague understanding of
networking. I can tell you now that a network of machines that don't
need as much baby sitting as Windows does could be the end of a major
headache for a lot of schools.

> Which would mean schools would end up costing more as they have to
> go the long way and get both in the end.

Simply wouldn't happen.  There are several schools in the UK that have
already made the switch to Linux for classroom activities (especially
to the LTSP thin client system).  There are many more schools that
already have Mac's (as mentioned above).

The requirements of schools in general (from the educational point of
view) are very simple.  It's in administration that they have real
trouble - there are specialist applications that schools need for
management.

> Also through my university i am able to get Microsoft products for
> free, which i am know a lot of university are signing up to now.

Well, then you have to make a quality decision.  If you feel that
taking software at "no short-term fiscal cost" is as good as using
"free software" then so be it. 

Funny how these policies always sounds like a heroin dealers pitch
isn't it ?  :-)

-- 
Geoff Teale
CMed Technology            -   gteale at cmedresearch.com
Free Software Foundation   -   tealeg at member.fsf.org