What do you think might change their mind? Ignoring price, TCO and better support choices, would any of the following influence selection of a replacement: additional functionality; intuitive user interface; improved reliability; richer information; better acccessibility. All input welcome. Chris -----Original Message----- From: David Bowles To: suse-linux-uk-schools@suse.com Sent: 5/2/03 10:35 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Free school administration software - project has started One aspect that's of crucial importance with regard to the potential for success with a replacement for SIMS and many other aspects of IT for schools is the deeply-entrenched culture of teaching and school management. Schools tend to operate on a strictly higherarchical basis, with those whose job involves actually working with management resources (such as SIMS) and curriculum resources usually having little or no say in the choice of which resources are used. Furthermore, the idea of choosing something on the basis of its actual merits is a complete anachronism within many schools, as the basis on which these make decisions about as far from a meritocracy as you can get. Instead politics tends to rule supreme, with the quality of the education provided and the working conditions of staff lower down the school higherarchy rarely a priority consideration. Yes there are opportunities for innovation and the adoption of open source resources within schools, but a 'me too' replacement for the too well established 'SIMS' system is unlikely to be one of them. David Bowles TeacherLab / Education Support -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-help@suse.com