Changing the world -- one desktop at a time
Why ingnorance is Microsoft's greatest tool
At one point I was totally amazed that schools (in my case, UK schools) are not using Linux and open source software in general. Then one day I found out:
My son was working on a IT project at school. Part of the project was supposed to be done in a spreadsheet. The IT teacher say it had to be done in Excel. I protested to my son that I did not want to go out and purchase a license for Excel just so he could work on this project at home when OpenOffice is just as good (for this purpose at least).
Anyhow - it eventually transpired that I was talking to the IT teacher.
1) The coarse had to be done in Excel.
2) The teacher HAD NOT HEARD OF OPEN OFFICE!
3) I can only assume 1 is a direct consequence of 2.
It beggars belief.
I cannot help but think it is time this sort of issue was raised with school governors in an attempt to figure to just how much money could be saved by forcing schools to go OpenSource for all software. The key being FORCE. I strongly believe that the teaching staff as too under pressure and too under trained to ever do it spontaneously.
AJ
PS - please understand that my sympathy is 100% with teachers who do a job under far too much pressure and far too little support or pay. The issue I have is with a system that allows this waste of money to continue.
My son was working on a IT project at school. Part of the project was supposed to be done in a spreadsheet. The IT teacher say it had to be done in Excel. I protested to my son that I did not want to go out and purchase a license for Excel just so he could work on this project at home when OpenOffice is just as good (for this purpose at least).
Anyhow - it eventually transpired that I was talking to the IT teacher.
1) The coarse had to be done in Excel.
2) The teacher HAD NOT HEARD OF OPEN OFFICE!
3) I can only assume 1 is a direct consequence of 2.
It beggars belief.
I cannot help but think it is time this sort of issue was raised with school governors in an attempt to figure to just how much money could be saved by forcing schools to go OpenSource for all software. The key being FORCE. I strongly believe that the teaching staff as too under pressure and too under trained to ever do it spontaneously.
AJ
PS - please understand that my sympathy is 100% with teachers who do a job under far too much pressure and far too little support or pay. The issue I have is with a system that allows this waste of money to continue.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Richardson on
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AJ:
I read this post and thought you might be interested in a post I made to my personal blog today. Please read it and tell me what you think.
http://sksteve.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/gates-shuttleworth-education/
Steve
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I found out this morning that my post has been picked up by Linux Today! So far today there are over 1,100 hits to the post! Although it is preaching to the choir, maybe this will help get the word out.
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