[Fsfe-uk] open office in schools (was Microsoft 'hoovers millions)

[Andrew Atkinson]

>
> I like Bob Blizzard's ideas. I suspect that the UK education
> system has paid out more than enough over the years to pay
> for the development of an entire Office Suite. Point them to
> OpenOffice. In fact, I'll be asking my LEA (or individual
> schools, whoever's in charge of purchasing atm) if they've
> evaluated OpenOffice, and if not, why not? As a public sector
> worker myself, I'm familiar with the rules on Best Value
> procurement. (Yes, we will be evaluating OpenOffice here at
> the National Library...)
>
Evaluate fact chance, I am responsible for the purchase of IT at a large
comprehensive. But when it comes to office do I have a real choice - (not
yet but I am working on it) Mention that there is anything out there that is
not MS and I tend to get funny looks and slagged off by most staff,
governors and parents, but funnily enough only a few pupils. (Suggest that
there is better well.....) This difficulty I can solve with time, the
problem that I really have is that the government send everything out in MS
and expects it back in the same form. This amounts to government endorsement
and it the really hard bit to break and overcome. I am afraid that the
schools of this land are becoming indoctrinated into MS and schools need
help to break this.

Andrew