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List:       suse-linux-uk-schools
Subject:    Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] reply to Microsoft issue
From:       ian <ian.lynch2 () ntlworld ! com>
Date:       2003-10-30 23:25:53
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On Thu, 2003-10-30 at 18:44, ICT Support Officer wrote:
> My Post on the cost of Microsoft licenses and lack of understanding of
> LEAs for open software had some good feed back. I thank everybody.
>  
> I must also add my feedback to some of the comments made.
> LEA does actually make money selling software and other services to
> schools. This was not an accusation. However someone made the correct
> judgement as incompetent people.
>  
> I don't think linux is ready to be fully deployed in schools as the
> GUI desktops are not so ready to replace windows fully.

That's why we deploy Linux thin clients for Office productivity and
tools that are likely to need more machine resources and let the
existing clients run Windows and the education apps that are generally
not that resource hungry. If you have already paid for Windows, why not
use it. The key is to stop the upgrade cycle and stop the *further*
purchases of Windows and Office. In a school there is really no point in
upgrading to MS Office beyond 97 because the additional facilities are
of little real benefit. Office 2003 has no really significant
improvements over Office XP as far as a school is concerned. If everyone
simply stops buying MS products and uses what they have, that will be
the first step out of the monopoly.

>  The teacher colleauge therefore must not worry too much about
> spending more hours on learning it than his/her working hours. My
> point is that it should be brought in gradually, especially when old
> machines are no longer powerful enough to run Microsoft applications.

So every school should start by having a few machines - maybe a small
thin client network using older machines to gain experience and try
things out. Lifelong learning? Keeping up to date? All good reasons to
persuade the head and not very expensive even if yu know nothing about
GNU/Linux technically because we and other companies can remotely manage
a thin client server for you over the Internet.
 
> My thanks to a friend here who kindly but possibly rather bluntly
> referred me to various sources. 
 
> As far as my school is concerned, I gave up totally as all seems
> against me when I propose a very gradual move to alternative software,
> be it Open source or not. I do not wish to implicate myself here but
> regrettably as I am only the network manager and the Head of ICT who
> is a senior teacher makes those decisions...incompetently I might add.

Not too surprising. He's scared of change because he sees it as a
threat. You could start a free software club with the pupils after
school. Just build a low cost server from bits and set up a small thin
client network. You could do a bit of fund raising to get it going.
Alternatively look for a job in a school that is more receptive.
 
> My solution for myself is..... well, change to another school or
> better still, move to Spain where Spanish Government installed Linix
> with Gnome on 80,000 computers

I don't think moving to Spain is necessary. There are schools in this
country who are early adopters of Linux. E-mail me and let me know where
you are in the country and I'll look out for potential openings on my
travels. I do sit on interview panels in schools from time to time.

Regards,
-- 
ian <ian.lynch2@ntlworld.com>


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