Re: [Fsfe-uk] Education Campaign?

[Illtud Daniel]

Hi All,

Just piping up on something I know a little about:

Alex said:

> I guess the obvious
> solution is that we could try to find some European funding to do a Free
> Software version of the EUCDL or something, that would likely catch
> their attention. Perhaps we should have a go at doing that? I would be
> interested in being involved in such a project, although I probably
> don't have enough time to do much myself - I do have plenty of contacts
> within the relevant industry, though, and could even help if people
> wanted to the push the course for accreditation (which would be a *big*
> win). Perhaps this should be an "official" project?

There's a movement in Wales promoting Free Software in Welsh,
Free Software always being popular with minority languages,
since you can translate stuff yourself, whereas we're unlikely
to ever see Windows 2003 in Welsh (the Basque country paid MS
about £4M to produce a late, buggy Basque version of windows,
which they'll have to pay again if they want updated - they've
sworn never to touch them again). There's a loose coalition of
institutions and interested parties who have been looking at
a Free Software ECDL in Welsh (accredited - that costs about £10k).
I think a funding application has been made. The idea is that
you could bundle a (welsh, in this case) copy of OpenOffice.org
with the ECDL handbook (about £30, of which a welsh version of
the BCS one is already available), and even a whole bootable
(Knoppix?) linux CD all ready to go, which would increase the
value of the handbook and bring the course to more people.

A joint development of a Free Software ECDL course would be of
great interest to us over here in Wales. There's also some Irish
interest in Free Software (from a Gaelic pov) which could also
maybe be drawn in (multi-country partnerships attract more cash
as well, apparently). I'd imagine the EU itself (who invented
the ECDL??) would be a good developer of this courseware, although
that might be seen as competing with the ECDL industry that they've
helped establish.

-- 
Illtud Daniel                                 address@hidden
Uwch Ddadansoddwr Systemau                       Senior Systems Analyst
Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru                  National Library of Wales
Yn siarad drosof fy hun, nid LlGC   -  Speaking personally, not for NLW