FYI the Ministry of Ed is not directly involved in the negotiations for software. There is a committee composed of teachers and other education professionals called OSAPAC that does this. They have a smallish budget (a few million CAD?) considering they are buying software for all schools in Ontario.
Licensing Star Office has more to do with the low cost (only a few thousand dollars) and the inclusion of take home rights for students AND teachers than it does politics.
OSAPAC has also licensed MS Publisher for next year. http://www.osapac.org/negotiations.asp
Slashdot Mirror
FYI the Ministry of Ed is not directly involved in the negotiations for software. There is a committee composed of teachers and other education professionals called OSAPAC that does this. They have a smallish budget (a few million CAD?) considering they are buying software for all schools in Ontario.
Licensing Star Office has more to do with the low cost (only a few thousand dollars) and the inclusion of take home rights for students AND teachers than it does politics.
OSAPAC has also licensed MS Publisher for next year. http://www.osapac.org/negotiations.asp