122 lines
7.2 KiB
HTML
122 lines
7.2 KiB
HTML
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<HTML><HEAD>
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<title>Linux in British Schools LG #62</title>
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<A HREF="http://www.linuxgazette.com/">
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<H1><IMG ALT="LINUX GAZETTE" SRC="../gx/lglogo.jpg"
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WIDTH="600" HEIGHT="124" border="0"></H1></A>
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<IMG ALT="" SRC="../gx/navbar/left.jpg" WIDTH="14" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom"><A HREF="lg_tips62.html"><IMG ALT="[ Prev ]" SRC="../gx/navbar/prev.jpg" WIDTH="16" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom"></A><A HREF="index.html"><IMG ALT="[ Table of Contents ]" SRC="../gx/navbar/toc.jpg" WIDTH="220" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom" ></A><A HREF="../index.html"><IMG ALT="[ Front Page ]" SRC="../gx/navbar/frontpage.jpg" WIDTH="137" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom"></A><A HREF="http://www.linuxgazette.com/cgi-bin/talkback/all.py?site=LG&article=http://www.linuxgazette.com/issue62/bajgar.html"><IMG ALT="[ Talkback ]" SRC="../gx/navbar/talkback.jpg" WIDTH="121" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom" ></A><A HREF="../faq/index.html"><IMG ALT="[ FAQ ]" SRC="./../gx/navbar/faq.jpg"WIDTH="62" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom"></A><A HREF="kasten.html"><IMG ALT="[ Next ]" SRC="../gx/navbar/next.jpg" WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="45" BORDER="0" ALIGN="bottom" ></A><IMG ALT="" SRC="../gx/navbar/right.jpg" WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="45" ALIGN="bottom">
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<H4 ALIGN="center">
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"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<H1><font color="maroon">Linux in British Schools</font></H1>
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<H4>By <a href="mailto:journalism@bajgar-computing.co.uk">James "Badger" Bajgar</a></H4>
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<P>Technology has changed dramatically over the last few years in terms of
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computers and their hardware/software, but how has it changed in
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school and education?
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<P>Let's look at one secondary school in the UK. This school used to complete
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GCSE and A-level work on 386s until just about 2 years ago when they managed
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to upgrade to brand new PCs, and since then get new PCs quite regularly. So
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they will now have well over 150 PC's for around 1500 pupils (including 6th
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form), although some schools would find it hard to get enough for just one
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class with around 30 pupils.
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<P>These systems are good too. They are in working condition by a
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on-site technician. The specs are good, especially as they are mainly used for
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teaching the basics to younger pupils. By the time they are doing
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GCSE/A-level work, it is not necessary for a very high spec as most of the
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work by then is simple office work, especially a lot of word processing, even
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so they have some very fast systems.
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<P>All these computers are networked, so any pupil can log on and then get
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their previously-saved documents on any computer in the school. This also
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prevents pupils from messing about with the BIOS and control panel settings,
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etc., since they each have a individual name witch can be traced.
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<P>But what is at the centre of all this? Well since Windows is seen by many
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people as easier to get to grips with, that would seem a good choice. But Linux
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Versions are now just about as easy--they no longer require large amounts of
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knowledge. Then, since these computers are all networked, Linux would be a good
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option. Also, what is the whole point of education?- to get qualifications for a
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job. It is thought Linux is fast becoming more popular (if not already) than
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Windows, and more and more computers in businesses run Linux, so people going
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into any area of business would benefit from the experience of Linux. Also, it
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has good networking features, and is more customisable, also by many people it
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is thought to be more stable to run than its competitors. Not forgetting the
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difference in price: you can pick up a full 6-CD version of SuSE Linux 6 for <20>30
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(or less if you know someone who has it already), and make money out of it!
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Compared to possibly hundreds of pounds for competitors' networking OS's.
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<P>Therefore, this school runs Linux Red Hat or SuSE, right? WRONG! It runs
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Windows! I ask this question to the British government: how are the pupils
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supposed to survive in the 'big world' of computing nowadays if they don't have
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at least the opportunity to experience at least the basics of another
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graphical OS such as Red Hat or SuSE Linux. OK, it is easy to get to grips with
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Linux, but nowadays potential employers won't look at you twice unless you've
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experienced it, so what are you supposed to do--lie???
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<P>So isn't it about time that the government make new guidelines as to how
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GCSE and A level are obtained, and allow the support of multi-operating system
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knowledge? This would also help show the full possibilities of Linux and
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open sourcing in general. Let's not forget the government money saved by using
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open-source software instead of the usual software. The benefits are obvious:
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no more expensive site software licences!
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<P>This would also generate more interest in open-sourcing among the younger
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generations. Also showing that the government and local authorities aren't biased
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just because they want to collect more TAX, but would support the cheaper
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software, even though they wouldn't get as much for themselves. But they
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wouldn't need as much, either, since they would no longer have to spend as much
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resources investigating software piracy!!!
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<P> <hr> <!-- P -->
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<H5 ALIGN=center>
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Copyright © 2001, James "Badger" Bajgar.<BR>
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Copying license <A HREF="../copying.html">http://www.linuxgazette.com/copying.html</A><BR>
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Published in Issue 62 of <i>Linux Gazette</i>, February 2001</H5>
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