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UK Schools Told to Dump Microsoft

Posted by timothy on from the reasonable-course-of-action dept.

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."

4 of 646 comments (clear)

  1. dupe..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/06/133233 &tid=146&tid=109

  2. erm, no it doesn't by REBloomfield · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  3. Saving Money by 01000011011101000111 · · Score: 4, Informative

    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?
  4. Re:Discount by Jellybob · · Score: 4, Informative
    Especially when it comes to what the students are using, most schools only have a couple dozen computers for all the students to use. So by giving away 30 or so copies of MS Office, MS could be preventing a couple hundred kids from telling their parents about OOo.

    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 :P Licensing costs the school thousands a year, due to "having to upgrade", money which could be much better spent on extra support staff in classrooms for kids who need help, or hundreds of other things.