via Jeff Waugh’s Be the signal. The Australian Financial Review reports NSW education downgrades Microsoft.
“The NSW Department of Education has put Microsoft on notice after it agreed to extend its software licensing agreement for just one year instead of renegotiating a new three-year contract.” — Prepares to deploy OpenOffice.org on 41000 PCs by end of 2008
Very interesting, I am big supported of the use of open source and open standards in education. The purpose of education should not be to teacher kids particular commercial software, it should be to teach kids how to use technology to empower them to learn. I look forward to further developments.
note: I am a casual employee of the NSW DET, my comments do not represent my employers, past. present or future.
It’s about time. Stuff like library computers might as well run a desktop linux given their main use as web browser terminals and word doc printers. I’ve never understood the Australian governments extensive use of Microsoft products, even in situations where it seems unnecessary and a waste of funding. Schools are supposed to teach students life skills to survive on their own and a dependency on Microsoft software and formats goes against that grain.