Re: [Fsfe-uk] Munich, swpat and Linux - possible in UK

[Ralph Janke]

Ian Lynch wrote:

> On Thu, 2004-08-05 at 11:19, Chris Croughton wrote:
>  
>
> > On Thu, Aug 05, 2004 at 02:00:49AM +0100, Tom Chance wrote:
> >
> >    
> >
> > > After the recent news about the Green Party stirring the city of Munich into 
> > > anti-software patent action [1],
> > >      
> > I think anti-software sums it up.  It's a good example of people being
> > scared by SP issues, certainly, but putting the project "on hold" is not
> > something we want.  If the mayor's view has any effect then that will be
> > good (perhaps the German government is more responsive to their local
> > councils than the UK one, it could hardly be less).
> >
> >    
> >
> > > it made me think: would this be remotely possible in the UK? Are there
> > > any Government-related projects that use Linux 
> > >      
> > Are there any at all?  I suppose education is sort of "government
> > related", but not very.
> >    
>
> Its very Gov related but fragmented. Schools are budget holders. That is
> an advantage in getting minority products to those that know, but a
> disadvantage in terms of using this as a lever with the DfES - at least
> until there are a lot of schools doing it.
>
>  
The problem are often the LEAs. I.e. in Birmingham the LEA has an 
organisation called EdIT which is requiring schools to have
administrative software that currenntly runs only under MS and is also 
proprietory.
In order to change that part of the schools, a alternative free software 
solution must be created and IT organisations that make LEA wide 
decisions must either be broken up or change their policies as well....

Otherwise I agree. The schools are the budget holders. However, the 
governors are the ultimate responsible. Maybe we should start some 
information distribution via the governor's network about solutions for 
schools using free software and the financial advantages of it. Since I 
am a governor in a primary school, and my wife is actually a 
saff-governor in the secondary school I work in, we can make sure such 
information is distributed among the governors in at least those two 
schools.

I will also soon be a strategical IT advisor in an umbrella organisation 
for lots of schools in the central Birmingham area. All such information 
might help to turn some opinions in such organisations as well...

Ralph Janke