[plug] Microsoft's insidious domination in Australian schools

Mon May 8 10:46:59 WST 2006

There's a point... I have worked at several Goverment/State schools
where they have been using Linux as proxy boxes, mail servers and other
'back-end' stuff.  If there are such rules in place, they don't
affect the use of Servers.

On 5/4/2006, "Caleb Duggan" <caleb.duggan at gmail.com> wrote:

>At the school I go to, that isnt the case. There's one linux proxy server
>and, the suggestion of setting up a linux lab with some of the older
>machines was welcomed by the IT administrator except the problem was time
>and lack of spare rooms. Something called the "100 schools project" which
>is where a few of the public schools get heaps computers, software and
>networking equipment actually requires that each school uses a solaris
>proxy server so far as i know(dont quote me on any of this) and the
>solaris proxy server will replace the current debian server soon. There is
>also a mac lab and a few rooms with some mac's in them at school.
>
>On Thu, 04 May 2006 17:20:52 +0800, Gavin Chester
><sales at ecosolutions.com.au> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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