Slashdot Mirror
UK Schools Told to Dump Microsoft
kubla2000 writes "The current issue of the Times Educational Supplement is running an article in which they cite a report by the British Educational Communications and Technology Association telling primary and secondary schools in the UK to dump Microsoft Operating systems and products in order to save millions. In a report to be published next week, obtained by The TES, Becta will highlight schools which have turned to free software instead of the market leader's products. Becta does not name Microsoft in its analysis. But almost all schools use some of the company's products. Their conclusion? Schools running OSS are saving 24% on average per pc versus those running proprietary systems."
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/06/133233 &tid=146&tid=109
BECTA don't recommend dumping anyone, let alone naming Microsot. They instead recommend that savings can be made by looking towards Free (as in beer) solutions.
They can go really low. The Swedish government recently got a deal 5-10% below the discount normally given to major customers.2 (in swedish)
http://www.nyteknik.se/pub/ipsart.asp?art_id=4041
I thought I'd reply here to everyone that's currently bashing the idea of using cheaper software in schools as somehow being bad for childrens education.
IT'S NOT. Schools (in the UK at least) have a very limited budget to spend, which doesn't just cover software - it has to manage teachers (of whom we currently have a shortage due to the abysmal wage they get), school dinners, visits and trips - even things like the bus to school in some places. Now, if this was aimed at the government as some "magic tax-saving measure" (get OSS for schools, save £1-2Bn tax) then I'd be worried. However, as it's aimed at schools, it means that they can free up sizable chunks of their budget to concentrate on other areas (Teachers for instance) - other areas which, in all honesty, probably do more for a childs education than M$ Super-dooper-text-ed-2025++ edition OR Open-tux-GNU-codehacker-6000.
Programming is an Art. I am an Artist. Does that mean I get to wear a daft hat?
Why is this Free/Libre Open Source Software discussion always about being against Microsoft or other commercial companies that develop software.
Try to focus on the principles that are important - it might actually make sense to choose a commercial company to develop the software as long as the software adhere to the principles.
For example the principles in the bill that Peru introduced on the states use of software. The bill set forward some principles that all suppliers of software must follow:
http://www.opensource.org/docs/peru_and_ms.php
Microsoft of course tried to fight this bill since they don't want to follow these principles, but that's their business descision. The bill does not ban Microsoft or any other supplier for developing and delivering software to Peru.
It would really be nice if all other countries tried to follow this approach.
Microsoft didn't make Visio. Though they do sell it now. But whether Visio is the best diagramming software for use in schools is an open question. From my recollection of it, I'd say that a less featureful diagramming application which is easier to use would be better. Same goes for the MS Office suite.
Ditto. Only worse.
I am going to do my GCSE (14-16) ICT exam in a month or so. It has taken up several hours a week, every schoolweek, for two years.
Questions include:
"What are the parts of a processor?" (multiple choice. correct answer: AMU, ALU, something else. understanding of what *exactly* these do, how they fit together, etc is not necessary)
"Dave is experiencing back pain/RSI. What should he do?" (multiple choice. answers include "stapler" and "copy holder")
"Name and describe two files [i.e. tables] used in this database system." (written answer, 4 marks. I lost 2 because I didn't name the files. "But sir," I said to my teacher who calls a screenshot a printscreen, "It depends on the software you're using, and you aren't allowed to name the software!") no reply.
Essentially it is a COMPLETELY USELESS qualification which teaches NO CODING (even not HTML). It includes OVERLY ARTIFICIAL case studies and questions, RIDICULOUS questions, POINTLESS AND SHALLOW knowledge, etc.
Essentially, the more you like computers, the less you'll like this course.
Almost everybody gets an A or A*.
Also, you learn roundabout ways of doing things, thanks to the school's odd view on security. For example, you can't right-click or use the "File" menu in Windows Explorer. To make a new folder, enter Microsoft Word, go to their "Open file" dialog, press the button. (etc, etc)
I don't know where you're from, so I'll let you off, but in the UK most schools don't have "a couple of dozen computers" - I worked in a primary school doing IT support for a while, and for the 5-8 age range there was a machine in every room, 5 support machines for staff, and a suite with another 10 in it.
And I've been saying what this article has been ever since I started working there