Well, here is a more specific example: If you look at OCR's website information on their CLAIT Scheme you will find optional units specifically for MS Office; it states that administration is reduced for these units as they can be electronically marked. Clearly there is encouragement for centres to use MS products here, eben if I wouldn't to base a legal case on this alone! David's and others more general comments about the quality of IT management in Schools may or may not be justified. However, IT and school management in general are under pressure from a variety of conflicting sources which do make it difficult to change systems root and branch. One of these may be having IT represented sufficiently high within the organisation so that change is agreed from the top. One thing that might help to effect change is for schools who have moved away from MS etc to offer advice to others - show them what they have done and help with the pitfalls. We switched to Linux servers and Star/OpenOffice sometime ago without any serious difficulties. John Low At 00:41 04/07/03 +0100, you wrote:
My observations are all based on my own experience plus some input form ICT professionals and teachers working in the school education field.
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