[plug] Microsoft's insidious domination in Australian schools

Sat May 6 07:11:08 WST 2006

On Fri, 2006-05-05 at 08:11 +0800, Daniel Pearson wrote:
> When you speak of the helpdesk, are you talking about the guys at
> Kinetic? AFAIK, most schools outsource their IT support to tender each
> year.
No, I mean the helpdesk at Central Office that is there to support the
Admin Networks and the like within schools.
> 
> Meryon Montgomery wrote: 
> > At my school my two servers on the curriculum side of the network are
> > ubuntu, my workstation (gentoo) and another workstation (kubuntu) are
> > linux as well. Basically with any software (OS or otherwise) that isn't
> > on their SOE won't be supported. I guess they are too pleased because I
> > insist that the browser of choice is firefox. Apparently they haven't
> > heard of it at the helpdesk (let alone openoffice or anything
> > complicated).
> > 
> > Monts
> > 
> > On Thu, 2006-05-04 at 20:50 +0800, Peter F Bradshaw wrote:
> >   
> > > Hi Gavin;
> > > 
> > > You may want to make contact with OpenSource WA (http://www.opensource.wa.gov.au/)
> > > about this. They do not have the status of a department but they are
> > > a government agency and may be able to help you cut throught the
> > > beaurucracy.
> > > 
> > > In any case, if there is not a plan to introduce OSS into education,
> > > your enquiry may prompt them to create one.
> > > 
> > > On Thu, 4 May 2006, Gavin Chester wrote:
> > > 
> > >     
> > > > (This email is written with many concepts explained that may already be
> > > > familiar to you because I am sending this as an open letter to readers from
> > > > a wide range of backgrounds and interest groups).
> > > > 
> > > > I write with heavy heart and a good dose of old-fashioned rage at the
> > > > injustice meted out to the next generation.  Okay, that's maybe a bit over
> > > > the top, but I encountered a ludicrous situation that came to a head today
> > > > at my local government primary school of around 75 students (K-7), located
> > > > in a rural area of Western Australia.  It's under-funded and
> > > > under-resourced, as you would imagine.
> > > > 
> > > > Through contacts I have in the local Linux user group (PLUG), I had tapped
> > > > into a supply of up to 15 PII PCs about to be cast-off by a large company.
> > > > They were more than happy to donate the lot, plus spares, and deliver them
> > > > more than 100km to our school.  These PCs are useless for running any recent
> > > > version of Microsoft, but they are great for running Linux.  I presented a
> > > > proposal to our school Principal of the concept of making use of these
> > > > computers in a teaching lab, utilising one or two of their high-end desktops
> > > > as a server.  The latter part of the concept was a short-term solution and I
> > > > aimed to beg, borrow or steal a purpose-built server once I got the lab up
> > > > and running, and proven.  I also was going to donate my time to setup the
> > > > system and administer it and asked nothing of the school staff in this
> > > > regard.
> > > > 
> > > > Underpinning the concept was that it was to be a K12LTSP lab, since I have
> > > > been following the project for about three years and run a small setup at
> > > > home for my kids.  For those who don't know, K12LTSP is an offshoot of the
> > > > LTS Project that allows low-end PCs to be used as thin (i.e., no hard drive)
> > > > clients running off a central Linux server.  Another, similar Linux project
> > > > is 'Edubuntu', which is based on Ubuntu Linux, itself based on Debian Linux.
> > > > Those of you in the know will realise that there are other projects out
> > > > there that do similar things and also are tailored for an educational
> > > > setting, but K12LTSP is the one with which I am most familiar.  The beauty
> > > > of any of these projects is that all the software is very worthy and it is
> > > > FREE and you get to recycle old PCs, which not only saves them from
> > > > polluting at landfill but also means that the hardware is usually FREE.
> > > > Moreover, you can run a large PC lab (30 or more PCs, or clients) with only
> > > > one server to administer instead of lots of separate PCs with their own
> > > > operating system.  See these links for more information if you're not
> > > > already familiar with these software projects:
> > > > http://k12ltsp.org/contents.html
> > > > http://www.ltsp.org/
> > > > http://www.edubuntu.org/
> > > > 
> > > > Despite being cash-strapped, the school did have some cash to spare for
> > > > incidentals so I was going to be able to buy some missing bits, like basic
> > > > networking gear.  I was even prepared that the lab be isolated from the rest
> > > > of their system with no access to their existing server and internet link
> > > > (the reason for this will be soon be apparent).  Well, today I was told that
> > > > thanks, but no thanks.  Apparently, higher powers in head office dictate
> > > > that every computer located in any government school across the whole State
> > > > MUST run Microsoft - even if the hardware on which it runs is donated.
> > > > Also, every computer in the school must be powerful enough to run XP.  It
> > > > simplifies administration and help-desk support, you see.  That's despite
> > > > the fact that no one from head office ever comes near the school's PCs, and
> > > > despite the fact that the school can't afford to have more than about one
> > > > working PC for every six students in the school because of the hardware
> > > > requirements of XP.  I should point out that the ratio is an estimate, since
> > > > I've only anecdotal evidence of how many PCs are used regularly in the
> > > > school.  If I've erred, I believe I've been generous regarding the ratio of
> > > > students per PC.
> > > > 
> > > > As you would imagine, I was aghast at being told this today.  I
> > > > incredulously stated to the Principal and the school administrator that "it
> > > > is our responsibility to teach our children computing, not Microsoft".  But
> > > > my pleas fell on deaf ears because they are bound by head office policy,
> > > > apparently.  I don't write this open letter to serve as a means to 'vent my
> > > > spleen' and rant like some Linux zealot at a ridiculous situation.  Instead,
> > > > I ask that recipients consider the implications of it and then act.  If you
> > > > are able to contact someone who may have some influence, or know someone who
> > > > knows someone else who may have influence, I want to see if we might effect
> > > > a change in education policy to stop this happening in West Australian
> > > > government schools.  Just where are our tax dollars being spent in
> > > > education?  Into the pockets of Microsoft and Intel, I think.
> > > > 
> > > > I see the use of free software and recycled hardware as another opportunity
> > > > to better our next generation, yet it is being shot down by FUD (fear,
> > > > uncertainty and doubt) emanating from the halls of (educational) power.  The
> > > > teachers here at the 'coal face' don't seem to mind too much because "we
> > > > don't have to pay any licensing fees out of our budget - head office pays".
> > > > I was dumbfounded that such an attitude can exist.  Contact me if you have
> > > > any ideas or similar sad stories to relate.
> > > > 
> > > > Regards,
> > > > 
> > > > 	Gavin Chester
> > > > 
> > > > 	962 Williams Rd (PO Box 62), Dwellingup, Western Australia.  6213.
> > > > 	Tel: (08) 9538 1102
> > > > 	E-mail#1: mailto:sales at ecosolutions.com.au
> > > > 	E-mail#2: mailto:gc at gwchester.com
> > > >       
> > > Cheers
> > > 
> > >     
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> > http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> > Committee e-mail: committee at plug.linux.org.au
> > 
> >   
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