[plug] suggestion: PLUG 4 Schools

[Arie Hol]

At 01:05 PM 06-05-2002 +0800, you wrote:
>Afternoon
>
>> A while ago sol tapped:
>
>[PLUG supporting Linux in schools]
>
>[PLUG providing demos, debunking M$ propaganda]
>
>> Any thoughts?
>
>I helped to admin a Red Hat proxy/mail/NAT/gateway machine for several years 
>at a local metro school. The school has since closed down and I have no idea
>what systems are being run in the replacement school. I can tell you a few 
>of the problems you are likely to run into: 
>1) Any machine will have to be set up properly - the first time... I mean make
>   sure the /, /tmp, /usr, /var and swap partitions are of an appropriate 
>   size. Security is up to scratch and all file permissions are as
appropriate. 
>   One of the largest problems I ran into was the only partitions where /, 
>   /var and swap (I didn't set the machine up) and /var was of an
inappropriate 
>   size (way to small). 
>2) Most teachers don't know much other than M$. You have an uphill task to 
>   convince the users that they want *nix and it will be helpful for them. 
>3) Due to 2) you are going to need continued support and training until 
>   problems are resolved. 
>4) All changes to a schools network should be done in accordance with the 
>   IT committee and be supported in the IT plan for the school - if the school 
>   has one. Trying to change to or from one platform to another without any 
>   sort of planning is just asking for problems. 
>5) You need someone with excellent personal skills in order to explain how 
>   systems work and how the systems fit into the network. This is so non 
>   technical people do not feel intimidated by the technology and are capable 
>   of assisting to fix computer/network problems. 
>6) To my knowledge most schools do not have CNC, instrumentation and other 
>   specialist applications hooked up to their computer hardware. This should
>   make everything a lot easier and not require unusual and specialist 
>   software to be made operational. If they have anything a little bit unusual
>   then we are likely to run into problems. I know people still supporting 
>   Win3.11 because the software and hardware drivers they use exists for that 
>   platform and non other. 
>
>Admittedly points 4)and 5) is valid for all systems and rarely happens in my 
>experience.
>
>This will not get off the ground unless you can convince the teachers that 
>*nix is a valid and reliable alternative and is better than M$ for their 
>applications. This will not happen until you get PC resellers recommending 
>Linux to schools for servers/desktop machines rather than M$. And this 
>will not start to happen until you can get PC resellers to support and 
>pre install Linux. To my knowledge many schools not just buy machines but
>they also purchase a support contract for the machines/network at the same
>time. You need to get everyone at the school behind the project - the P&C, 
>teachers, support staff and the students. If anyone of these stake holders is 
>not happy with the decision then the project is likely to fail. 
>
>Oh, and I have seen 4 or 5 large and rather chunky M$ servers sent out to 
>a school - one for mail, one for web/proxy, one for news and another as the 
>internet gateway of some arrangement to that effect. In my opinion the school 
>who was receiving the servers was not excessively large. 
>
>I think this is an excellent project but each installation needs to be thought 
>out before it is performed. I do however think that we can do a lot promoting 
>*nix as a usable desktop and server OS for schools. Hopefully some of the 
>more switched on schools will have a go - and with luck report success to 
>other less enlightened schools, who may, in time, change their systems.  
>
>Simon
>

Simon has made some excellent points, I am in full support of Linux and all
of it's aspects - but what about the flow on affects :

If kids in school learn to work with Linux from scratch - then they have a
tremendous advantage, maybe ?

What happens when you have Linux established and operating successfully in a
school, but all the parents of the kids at this school have Windows PC's at
home.

What happens when these kids move on to another school or educational
institution (like uni)?

Will they be capable of handling the change of software environment - it
would be great for the kids if they can learn to use two operating systems
and their respective software environments - but I think our kids are
already under enough pressure with the current circumstances in our
education system.

What happens when the kids move out into the work force - will their Linux
skills be what is required by their employers ? A great win for employers if
they are running Unix and/or Linux systems - but maybe a loss for the kids.

I agree that something needs to be done and the sooner the better, but to
act in haste may cause an innocent mistake or an oversight to occur which
could very well have a harmful consequence for the promotion and acceptance
of Linux.

I do not condemn Microsoft totally - I think that there are many people who
are now Linux devotees who may not have even been computer literate if it
hadn't been for DOS & Windows. Microsoft needs to be brought back to sanity
- they have become the "Ogre in the forest". They need a big, loud wakeup
call and I believe that Linux will be that call.

Who knows what the future may hold, but if we do not think, plan and act
carefully - then our dreams may turn into nightmares.















Regards Arie.

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