Linux in U.S. /ALL/ Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management) [LWN.net]

Linux in U.S. /ALL/ Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

Posted Sep 8, 2008 7:27 UTC (Mon) by csawtell (guest, #986)
Parent article: Linux in U.S. Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

Public schools the world over are, in effect, run by elected politicians.

Let's listen in at a couple of election meetings.

Scenario One:-

Politician from party A:

As you are all only too well aware, we are all living in very uncertain times. It's not easy for anybody, and that includes the Government. In common with all government activities, the cost of educating the Nation's children has to be examined carefully and brought under closer control. In order to save many millions, and at the same time generate jobs locally, I have instituted a program to carefully and slowly bring the use of Free Software into our schools. It will take time, but the savings will be very substantial. Please note that I am quite certain that your children's overall education will not be affected in any meaningful way. We will use some the money saved in our schools to raise the parental income limit for the qualification for free lunches. As ours is are caring and humane society, I'm quite sure that every thinking voter will support my decision to economise on the use of very expensive commercial software, and to spend the savings, quite transparently, on the more unfortunate, deprived and vulnerable members of the under-class.

Thinking Voter: Oh yea! The mean skinflint! He's depriving my child of a full education, and blowing the savings on a bunch of ...! Vote for that semi-animated sausage? Never! Ever!!

Scenario Two:-

Politician from party B:
I have just secured millions of dollars in funding from the central government bean counters so that your children can experience using real-world software on the same kind of computers and operating system that they will be using once they get a job in the real world.

Thinking Voter: Wow! They have got the message that our children are worth millions. He's looking after our children! I think I'll vote for him when the time comes.

Honestly, It's that simple.

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Sad election meeting scenarios

Posted Sep 9, 2008 0:52 UTC (Tue) by pr1268 (subscriber, #24648) [Link]

You've painted a sad picture of election-time politics. Not that I disagree with you--in fact, I can all-too-painfully see how your scenario would/could play out in the next two months in the U.S.A. (seeing how this is a national election year).

Seeing how humans notoriously take the path of least resistance, and also how politicians will make the easiest-to-parse campaign pledge which persuades the most voters their way, this could indeed happen here in good ol' America. But, hey, that's politics...

Linux in U.S. /ALL/ Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

Posted Sep 10, 2008 12:06 UTC (Wed) by lacostej (subscriber, #2760) [Link]

Politician from party C:
I have just secured millions of dollars in funding from the central government bean counters, but instead of using it on expensive pre-packaged software, we will use it more wisely. We will also provide a more open and diverse education system, making our kids both more knowledgeable and adaptable to varying environments, but also generate local jobs, making our economies and communities stronger. Not only that, but we still end up saving money and stay competitive in the long run.

Thinking Voter: ???

Linux in U.S. /ALL/ Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

Posted Sep 10, 2008 21:34 UTC (Wed) by pr1268 (subscriber, #24648) [Link]

And exactly where is party C's candidate's constituency? Fantasyland?

My snarly comment isn't meant as an attack against lacostej's, but rather at the sheer unlikelihood of his/her scenario. It would certainly be nice, though, to have candidates like party C's.

Linux in U.S. /ALL/ Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

Posted Sep 12, 2008 13:07 UTC (Fri) by jmmc (guest, #34939) [Link]

I like your option. Yet, I find an acute lack of this 'party C' opinion in the US / my state /my town / my School District representation as much as I'd probably align myself with that option as a voter.

As much as an optimist as I've tried to be (hey, I was still optimistic past my 40th ! - and I have (small) kids !, not bad eh ?...I'm still under 50, but the recent years have not helped me to remain optimistic). The local Primary turnouts in my voting district rarely top 40%, in ANY election year. Our mayors are elected by a total of ~30K people (and that the vote TOTAL, which means the 'winner' gets in office with ~15-20K votes), in a city of 120,000-135,000. Hardly 'representative'.

Point: (imho) People are SO UNengaged in their local politic or so pummeled with poor school boards, entrenched teacher/administrator conflicts, Federal/State government school funding shenanigans, etc. that even getting into this dicussion about what software schools use brings shrugs/non-interest/indifference.

Where I felt Apple in 80's actually was (somewhat ?, altruistically ?...even a little ?) interested in providing the Mac as an actual 'tool for learning' in schools, I think the shrewd folks at MS simply pounced on the confused, cracking public school infrastructure in the '90s and, like an earlier poster noted, went with a Pepsi/Coke/Cigarette approach of 'promote often / addict early' and enticed frustrated school Admins with 'deal-with-devil' / 'path of least resistance' offers they couldn't refuse.

Thank You For Powerpointing (smoking) !, indeed...

And, why isn't it promoted that Government funded institutions (schools) NOT use products of a company (MS) the their own institution (Gov't) CONVICTED (!) of monopolistic behavior ?!

Re: Thinking Voter ? (thinking... we are so screwed ;)