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How Schools Can Get Free Software
RicJD writes "The BBC is reporting on a school in England which has found a way to save money through Open Source Software. It goes on to explain the idea behind OSS, and briefly how they've incorporated it into the school system. Could this be the way to show the UK government that savings can be had through OSS?" Likely an adoption spurred by the education report we reported on earlier this year.
Free software for schools? OSS? No shit...
ow schools can get free software
The UK government's school computing agency, Becta, has said schools could save costs by switching to what is known as open source software.
In open source software (OSS), the underlying computer code is freely available so users can alter it and publish new versions, to benefit the community.
Leslie Fletcher, chair of governors at Parrs Wood High School in south Manchester and campaigns manager for the UK's Unix and Open Systems User Group, offers a personal perspective on how schools can benefit.
Schools using open source software can develop their information and communication technology (ICT) as they think best, without worrying about software costs and licensing because OSS is usually free.
The software a school needs to keep its computer network running and secure, send and receive e-mail, access the internet, protect users from viruses, spam and unsuitable content and carry out office tasks such as word processing is all available free by using OSS.
It can be downloaded from the internet - free as in "free beer" - and has very liberal licensing terms - free as in "free speech".
Parrs Wood High School has more than 2,000 students and more than 200 staff.
When it moved into new buildings at Easter 2000 spending had to be tightly controlled.
Capital
One of the technical staff, Tim Fletcher, had experience with OSS and convinced the head teacher and governors that it could deliver their vision for ICT in the new school extremely cost- effectively.
Capital was spent on high-speed network equipment and the best available servers, the computers running the system.
Because OSS runs well on old hardware, computers from the old school and cast-offs from local businesses could be deployed in ICT rooms and other classrooms, requiring little additional capital expenditure.
Now Parrs Wood has more than 1,000 computers in school and more than 100 school laptops are on free loan to students who would not otherwise have a computer at home.
All staff, students and governors can, and many do, login to the school network from home - a facility soon be extended to parents and carers.
Microsoft desktops
The OSS enabling this does not cost anything and can be given away by the school without any concern about violating licence terms.
At Parrs Wood OSS is seen not as merely a way of saving money, but rather of spending it more effectively
The majority of Parrs Wood's servers run OSS and use OSS to communicate with desktop computers in classrooms and offices.
What appears on screen - the so-called desktop - for ordinary users is the familiar, paid-for Microsoft Windows.
The software used by staff and students includes the content management system Moodle, which is open source, and Microsoft's Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Software licences cost Parrs Wood about £30,000 each year, less than half the cost if no OSS were deployed, according to figures in the recent Becta report.
Only recently has the school become satisfied that OSS is now sufficiently well developed to meet classroom and office needs and provides a viable alternative to licensed software.
With governors' support and encouragement, the school is adopting OSS more completely over the next three years, including the eventual replacement of Windows by an OSS desktop, which will be a significant change.
Effectiveness
The gradual transition ratified by governors will enable the school community, including parents, to be made aware of the value which the school places on the freedom to innovate which OSS gives.
Schemes of work will be revised so that students gain an appreciation of the uses and value of ICT which goes beyond competency with a few of today's computer applications.
Staff training will be provided and all those involved kept abreast of developments in OSS and its increasingly widespread use.
At Parrs Wood OSS is se