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Open source in schools petition

Tux graduatePete, the Chair of Bristol Wireless, has posted details to our daily mailing list of a petition on the 10 Downing Street website, requesting the British Prime Minister to promote greater use of open source software in UK schools. At present, use of free and open source software in schools is very much a minor pursuit, relying on the enthusiasm of individual schools’ teaching and IT staff.

The petition is worded as follows:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make the primary operating system used in state schools free and open source.”

At Bristol Wireless we fully support the aims of the petition: using open source in education teaches the pupils about IT, not about how to use a certain widespread operating system (or how to be “button monkeys”, in the words of one of our more outspoken volunteers. Ed.). In addition, we’re no strangers to helping promote open source in education: in 2005 we took the mobile LTSP suite to HesFest – the home education festival (news passim) and this is documented in the HesFest video). In addition, we’ve also demonstrated the use of LTSP and free/open source software to schools in the Bristol area.

If you believe children would benefit from using free and open source in schools, the petition can be signed here.

One Response to Open source in schools petition

  1. Rich February 10, 2009 at 5:26 pm #

    18 months ago we introduced a primary school in St. Werburghs to the joys of open source.

    There’s some interesting observation here
    https://www.bristolwireless.net/news/?p=290