Slashdot Mirror
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.
Make a credible threat to switch to free software.
(Submit your school's "migration plan" to the BBC. Just in case Microsoft doesn't read that, Slashdot the story!)
We recently had heard in the office over one of the Yellow Machine that's made by Anthology Solutions.
The are organizing a conference in Bolton next week: on Thursday 14th & Friday 15th July 2005.
This sounds like the best idea an education system, whether it be the UK or the US, has ever had. All schools could save hundreds of dollars by using Linux instead of Windows, and it would give kids a better background. Also, it might encourage the development of more OSS by the students.
$ cd/home/fridge
$ ls | grep "coke"
Bit-Torrent?
Oooooh you mean the other kind of free.
It's about how the school uses OSS on servers and Windows on desktops:
"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."
The administrator claims over 30,000 pounds yearly are saved by using OSS servers. That seems a tad high for a single high school.
http://edge-op.org/grouch/schools.html
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/schools.html
I've just left (about a week ago) my school after 7 years. Last year a new business studies block was built with two Linux suites in it. They both have about 30 thin clients in each, which run off of one server. They are using Suse (9.1 IIRC) after Fedora Core 2 kept struggling. All of the teachers were complaining that they didn't know how to use Linux, but of course now they've found it's just fine, because with KDE they can use it just the same way as windows. By using thin clients the school has saved a lot of money on hardware as well as software. The Linux machines are also a lot more stable than the Windows network, and everything is much more up to date (the windows network is still 98 with IE 5.0!). If anyone is interested its the Deepings School near Peterborough in the UK.
No one ever got elected by saving money. This saved money will only be spent elsewhere.
That said, the best reason for using open source has nothing to do with saving money.
It's the opportunity to get a look inside at how the machine works.
Anyone that's taken apart a toaster or washing machine timer, etc, understands how valuable a thing it is to be able to see how it works.
That's why open source belongs in schools.
This is the third time I have tried to switch to linux, The first two times went badly and I gave up
(if you care Redhat in 2001, and Suse in 2003).
I have tried Ubuntu and the installation went smooth, the applications work easy, and haven't even seen the comand line once.
Everything works, that wasn't true before, The installation was easier than the last windows install I did, and for a school enviroment being somewhat incompatable with most games (and Viruses) seems like a huge plus.
I think It's ready and everything works just the way I am used to, (except that the status bar is at the top wierd how much that bugs me).
The kids shouldn't have any problems doing what they are supposed to with the computers.
I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared
Because feeding trolls is fun:
1. As opposed to $0 a workstation. Times a bunch of workstations.
2. Yeah, 'cause MS's current OS is just what these kids will be using when they enter the workforse in 10-15 years. Right. Crap argument. Teaching them to USE and UNDERSTAND COMPUTERS is far more important than teaching them about one particular OS that will have changed significantly by time they are entering the real world, supposing it's still dominant. This can be done just as effectively (perhaps moreso) on another OS besides Windows.
3. -1 Offtopic.
...slashdot's +1, Funny maps disturbingly well to RIAAs +1, Insightful? I'm sure what their real market model is to have others pay them through their teens and student life (parents, university) and have them come out on the other side thinking "well, now I have to start paying for it myself". They don't want to lose customers in their youth, never to regain them. Make them feel that someone has been, or should have been paying all the time, even if they have not.
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
and they've had this for a while (from at least 2000).
All the computers there are old business ones that are now running Red Hat (they even got a little plaque from RH to put up in the lobby) with Citrix connected to Windows NT Terminal Server on top of that.
I used to help out the head IT guy (Tim) at lunch (my nerdishness was secure even back then) by installing RH over the network for the new computers, fixing the mouse if it ever stopped working (by reinstalling the drivers usually) or just copying down the serial numbers of the computer equipment in to the online database they had.
Yes, because we all know paying teachers, who already have starting areas as low as $20K/yr in places in the US , even less money is a great way to improve teacher quality. Thats an especially good deal considering the US is already falling behind in schooling.
SOmetimes you get what you pay for. The place to cut money in schools is not in the teachers. Look further up the chain at the school boards. For a big city its as highly paid as a CEO, despite being even less useful. Cut there, and higher more/better teachers.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
Children learn what they're taught. This would be why there's such a huge push in MS to resist change. Windows XP works very similar to Windows 95 for this very reason. If we teach children OSS, they learn OSS. If we teach them windows, they learn windows. Your comment that "Linux is for techies" is like saying "We can't teach children english because japanese is easier!" By the way, I'm writing this while listening to the BBC news broadcast on a linux laptop. My sound to works just fine.
Evil Walrus >83=
There is a greater danger in students using free software than them getting the crazy idea of that information should be accesible to everyone ... some of them might even get involved in development. Imagine all these fresh minds that M$ cannot even hire because of age limitations on employment...
Younger minds can have novell ideas. FOSS needs them. School kids getting involved can bring new ideas. Perhaps even non-geek participation in designing GUIs.
I like to call it "the coolness factor" in OSS. If kids learn that they can actually make a difference: having your idea or design incorporated in software used by millions all around the world is cool, and kids should learn about it and go for it!
We've also been able to do far more in-house than we'd have been able to with MS stuff, I have a strong sense of ownership, and of kinda understanding how everything fits together. This last year we've been exploring web-based technology, such as the incredibly brilliant Moodle virtual learning environment.
Anyhow, we're now interested in the notion of Linux on the desktop, and I too have been impressed by how easy ubuntu is to set up and use. Spent the weekend at the edubuntu summit, chatting about the idea of a ubuntu based, easy to install and use, distribution aimed at schools, including those in developing countries where internet access isn't all it could be. This is a tremendously exciting project, and given how easy the unbuntu experience is, could well be the way to get linux onto school desktops. The first release is due in October.
Do a Google on "Cutter" and "Orwell school" - they've been smart because for some apps you need Windows - all the rest is done via Terminal Servers (note to OpenOffice: why is your memory footprint so much larger than StarOffice?).
The Ubuntu lot have a link into the SchoolTool efforts of Mark Shuttleworth, and anyone who's followed the FLOSS in Government trails will know about the fantastic work that has taken place in the Extramadura region in Spain. Link to all the presentations.
There is far, far more happening out there than the UK Government seems to know - I wonder when they finally try and spend some money efficiently and emulate what the Spanish did. Could be a new concept: actual *efficient* use of tax money...
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