Linux Gazette: Linux in British Schools

“…since Windows is seen by many people as easier to get to
grips with, that would seem a good choice. But Linux Versions are
now just about as easy–they no longer require large amounts of
knowledge. Then, since these computers are all networked, Linux
would be a good option. Also, what is the whole point of
education?- to get qualifications for a job. It is thought Linux is
fast becoming more popular (if not already) than Windows, and more
and more computers in businesses run Linux, so people going into
any area of business would benefit from the experience of Linux.
Also, it has good networking features, and is more customisable,
also by many people it is thought to be more stable to run than its
competitors. Not forgetting the difference in price: you can pick
up a full 6-CD version of SuSE Linux 6 for £30 (or less if
you know someone who has it already), and make money out of it!
Compared to possibly hundreds of pounds for competitors’ networking
OS’s.”

“Therefore, this school runs Linux Red Hat or SuSE, right?
WRONG! It runs Windows! I ask this question to the British
government: how are the pupils supposed to survive in the ‘big
world’ of computing nowadays if they don’t have at least the
opportunity to experience at least the basics of another graphical
OS such as Red Hat or SuSE Linux. OK, it is easy to get to
grips with Linux, but nowadays potential employers won’t look at
you twice unless you’ve experienced it, so what are you supposed to
do–lie???”

“So isn’t it about time that the government make new guidelines
as to how GCSE and A level are obtained, and allow the support of
multi-operating system knowledge? This would also help show the
full possibilities of Linux and open sourcing in general. Let’s
not forget the government money saved by using open-source software
instead of the usual software. The benefits are obvious: no more
expensive site software licences!”

Complete
Story