Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-edu (46 mails)
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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] article on GNU/Linux in schools and universities
- From: garry saddington <garry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:38:17 +0000 (UTC)
- Message-id: <1144870824.12101.40.camel@localhost>
On Wed, 2006-04-12 at 18:27 +0100, Tony Whitmore wrote:
> Richard Smedley wrote:
>
> > Apparently LXF readers want to know the buying practices of
> > UK educational institutions; their patterns of OS and software
> > use; what pressures they are under; and what budget restrictions;
> > how they are grouped (in a university's case, whether policy is set
> > across depts, or across the entire institution); what's the budget;
>
> That will vary greatly from school to school, particularly when a school
> has Specialist status in ICT or Business Studies. There are also the
> issues of devolved budgets - much is strapped up in SLAs and broadband
> charges. A figure of £XX,000 isn't much use if you don't know the
> context of the school and what it's priorities for ICT development are
> over a number of years.
>
> Microsoft continue to slash their prices to the education sector, either
> through Campus agreements or discounted schemes like the Local
> Government Authority scheme. Under the LGA scheme, copies of MS Office
> Pro cost less than £40. That's enough of a discount for school
> management to prefer it over cheaper offerings like Star or OpenOffice.org.
>
> > what versions of MS windows and office are still in use?
>
> We use Windows 2000 and XP, along with Microsoft Office 97 and XP. We
> use plenty of FLOSS on Windows, and have a mostly Linux server room.
>
> <snip>
> > I'm also interested in what needs to be done to change things?
> > Where can influence be exerted? What can individuals do?
> > The example of the BCS's blessing from the above-mentioned thread
> > was very interesting.
>
> I have found that most of the restrictions come from "higher up", the
> LEA or DfES. Documents and software distributed in Windows-only format
> (Fisher Family Trust software distributed as MS Access 2000 files,
> Assessment tracking software for Windows only), websites that only work
> in IE or that rely on propriatory plugins, the provision of E-learning
> credits which can only be spent on propriatory software (and most of it
> not very good software at that).
Let's face it most is also not used!
>
> Another example is the compulsory KS3 "online" testing which requires a
> Windows client machine to run on. QCA are responsible for commissioning
> this software and it is propriatory software vendor RM who are
> implementing it. Schools running Linux thin clients have been told to
> "get Citrix" at the cost of thousands of pounds.
They have not told me - yet.
> The backend for these
> tests are either Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server or RHEL4. So
> there's no option to run it on a SUSE or Debian or anyone other flavour.
> Sure, there are issues of support from their perspective, but it
> requires outlay on behalf of the school. Bringing a network up to meet
> the specification could set schools back £50k.
When the idea of the tests was mooted several years back it was to be an
'online' test delivered through a browser and therefore accessible to
all. Why is it now 'onscreen' and proprietary?
Here's my tuppence worth - RM want to make money, as much as possible.
The overheads of a web application (for them) are large (servers,
administration etc.). So someone at RM had the idea of hi-jacking a
school's computing facilities (and admin. etc) to save them a packet,
and as usual it's the schools themselves that suffer, and what's worse,
our pupils.
Why are they allowed to rob us like this?
>
> The large bodies assume the availability of Windows and don't really
> work to be all inclusive. Until this is changed, FLOSS in education will
> continue to struggle - and I really think legislation is needed to
> enforce it.
>
We need more representation at BECTA instead of lip service. I know that
I will not be told by anyone how to run my ICT provision, especially by
business!
When I asked Fabian Pascal his view on SIF his reply was simple - there
is no place for business in education and I totally agree with him.
The education gravy train rolls on.
Regards
Garry
> Richard Smedley wrote:
>
> > Apparently LXF readers want to know the buying practices of
> > UK educational institutions; their patterns of OS and software
> > use; what pressures they are under; and what budget restrictions;
> > how they are grouped (in a university's case, whether policy is set
> > across depts, or across the entire institution); what's the budget;
>
> That will vary greatly from school to school, particularly when a school
> has Specialist status in ICT or Business Studies. There are also the
> issues of devolved budgets - much is strapped up in SLAs and broadband
> charges. A figure of £XX,000 isn't much use if you don't know the
> context of the school and what it's priorities for ICT development are
> over a number of years.
>
> Microsoft continue to slash their prices to the education sector, either
> through Campus agreements or discounted schemes like the Local
> Government Authority scheme. Under the LGA scheme, copies of MS Office
> Pro cost less than £40. That's enough of a discount for school
> management to prefer it over cheaper offerings like Star or OpenOffice.org.
>
> > what versions of MS windows and office are still in use?
>
> We use Windows 2000 and XP, along with Microsoft Office 97 and XP. We
> use plenty of FLOSS on Windows, and have a mostly Linux server room.
>
> <snip>
> > I'm also interested in what needs to be done to change things?
> > Where can influence be exerted? What can individuals do?
> > The example of the BCS's blessing from the above-mentioned thread
> > was very interesting.
>
> I have found that most of the restrictions come from "higher up", the
> LEA or DfES. Documents and software distributed in Windows-only format
> (Fisher Family Trust software distributed as MS Access 2000 files,
> Assessment tracking software for Windows only), websites that only work
> in IE or that rely on propriatory plugins, the provision of E-learning
> credits which can only be spent on propriatory software (and most of it
> not very good software at that).
Let's face it most is also not used!
>
> Another example is the compulsory KS3 "online" testing which requires a
> Windows client machine to run on. QCA are responsible for commissioning
> this software and it is propriatory software vendor RM who are
> implementing it. Schools running Linux thin clients have been told to
> "get Citrix" at the cost of thousands of pounds.
They have not told me - yet.
> The backend for these
> tests are either Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server or RHEL4. So
> there's no option to run it on a SUSE or Debian or anyone other flavour.
> Sure, there are issues of support from their perspective, but it
> requires outlay on behalf of the school. Bringing a network up to meet
> the specification could set schools back £50k.
When the idea of the tests was mooted several years back it was to be an
'online' test delivered through a browser and therefore accessible to
all. Why is it now 'onscreen' and proprietary?
Here's my tuppence worth - RM want to make money, as much as possible.
The overheads of a web application (for them) are large (servers,
administration etc.). So someone at RM had the idea of hi-jacking a
school's computing facilities (and admin. etc) to save them a packet,
and as usual it's the schools themselves that suffer, and what's worse,
our pupils.
Why are they allowed to rob us like this?
>
> The large bodies assume the availability of Windows and don't really
> work to be all inclusive. Until this is changed, FLOSS in education will
> continue to struggle - and I really think legislation is needed to
> enforce it.
>
We need more representation at BECTA instead of lip service. I know that
I will not be told by anyone how to run my ICT provision, especially by
business!
When I asked Fabian Pascal his view on SIF his reply was simple - there
is no place for business in education and I totally agree with him.
The education gravy train rolls on.
Regards
Garry
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