[plug] MS Curriculum

[bp]

My friend is a chalkie and she was made responsible for the evaluation,
purchase and installation of all computers at the primary school she was
working at (state).  Only problem was she had absolutely no experience with
computers at all.  I wont be sending my kids to that school !!!

She ended up fitting the whole joint out with Imacs at unbeleivable cost to
our state school budget because she liked the pretty colours you could buy
them in.

Thats the EDWA for you.



-----Original Message-----
From: Jamie Adair [mailto:jamie at arach.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 24 April 2001 12:23 AM
To: plug
Subject: [plug] MS Curriculum


Just to clarify the MS "arrangement" with EDWA - they have negotiated for
us
(how nice) for the complete suite of MS products in what's now known as the
"black" folder. All schools have one. What's even nicer is that all EDWA
employees are permitted and encouraged to install any amount of the
software
on their home computers as part of the corporate license. We are also
permitted to burn as many copies as we need for school use. So the MS
dynasty grows stronger and stronger!

If we want to use other software we have to buy it ourselves out of our
Learning Technology (mostly MS technology) budget which also has to be used
to ensure we meet a 10:1 student: computer ratio by end of next year.

I decided to run a Linux server at our primary school from day one and
apart
from 2 hacks in 3 years we've never been happier. I've learnt a new
language
to boot!

Out of interest, EDWA's track record with corporate licensing is dubious at
best! eg: They have negotiated for Macafee for the "system" when most in
the
field wouldn't touch it with a bargepole - at least not back in '98.

For the record I am a primary school teacher.

Cheers,
Jamie