[edu-eu] RFC - FSFE activity "education"

[Thomas Jensch]

Dear all,

In order to restart the edu activities I have already met some people and 
identified issues of concern.
Unless anybody proposes another approach i suggest to spend 1 or 2 weeks to 
discuss, extend and prioritize the framework in a brainstorm manner. Having 
done that, we could start to work on specific issues. 
Therefore the tasks at hand are:

a) discuss my approach in general
b) discuss the proposed issues
ba) especially the vision needs to be rephrased in light of the question: how 
we like it to be.
bb) mission is, what the edu activity is about
bc) goals are the "frontlines" of our work
bd) objectives / actions is the detailed plan, how to archieve our goals - 
the more precise, the better
c) move on

For your information: there are two mailingslists by now:
address@hidden which is more or less for the interested public, and
address@hidden  aka the task force / core team, for people who in one 
way or the 
other want to contribute to the fsfe activity "education".
The activity will be coordinated by Michael Kappes and me.

framework:
vision
Students of all educational levels are able to participate with a spirit of 
freedom and cooperation in the european democratic enviroment .

mission
The aim of the education activity is furthering Free Software in all 
education related activities and institutions, such as kindergarten, school, 
university. Software knowledgeability is required for more and more tasks, 
and Free Software is the best choice as it encourages schooling of 
understanding over product schooling and upholds the scientific principle.

goals
1) Free Software is recognized as a competitor on equal footing / non-
discriminatory policy against Free Software
2) vendor independent lectures (no product schooling)
3) use of Open Standards / cross-platform software in education sector
4) European network of "Free Software in education" projects and initiatives
5) ...

objectives / actions
1) Free Software is recognized as an competitor on equal footing / non-
discriminatory policy against Free Software
1.1. teacher "discounts" for proprietory software
- aka "bribery"
- research on the subject
- is a more legal approach possible?
1.2. awareness building within education adminstration / legislation
- identify and set up a network of like-minded/open people within 
adminstration
- communicate and initiate pilot projects
-- Rhinland-Palatinate (skolelinux + Knopper) a good example
- contact politicians
- approach parties (especially during election campaigns)
- integrate fellowship
1.3. awareness building at headmaster, dean level
- participation at education events
- awareness building, personally, in the neighborhood
-- therefore goal 4) should be sucessfully established
1.4. ...

2) vendor independent lectures (not product schooling)
2.1. training for teachers
- initiate / participate at obligatory teacher advanced training
2.2. changing the curriculum 
- policy work with government, administration
2.3. ...

3) use of Open Standards / cross-platform software in education sector
3.1. policy work
3.2. schoolbook publishers
- by now publishers just provide proprietory software
- publishers depend on the curriculum
- probably weird contracts with MS (?)
3.3. IT competitions for pupils
- trend towards use of proprietory software 
- talks with sponsors to open up again
3.4. promotion of Open Content
3.5. ...

4) European network of "Free Software in education" projects and initiatives
4.1. powerful edu-eu@ ML
- define tasks for edu-eu@ 
- define tasks for edu-team@
4.2. awareness building within FSedu community
- analyse existing networks
- consolidate existing networks
4.3. ...


mfg
Thomas Jensch, Intern - Zurich office

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