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Friday 10 March 2006
Hello everybody! I would like to write in my first entry in weblog about what, I think, can be done about introducing Free Software on education, specially refering to Spain, where I live (because I know very little on education on other countries).
The first mistake on speaking of software, is that usually studies are make relative to one product. I mean, Microsoft Word is learnt, instead of learnin plain "text processor" using. The user then becomes "jailed" into a set of programs, and creates somehow a wall on using any other software which is not what he or she has learnt. And so, the freedom to choose is gone: if a generation learns something, then the companies they found will use this software, and so on.
The solution has then two phases. The first would be to convince the autorithies, but mostly the schools and institutes that they can teach the same contents using Free Software, while they can teach the freedom this choice means. The second one would be efectively help the schools that would like to jump to the pool to adopt Free Software.
Freedom is the most important reason for using Free Sofware, but other advantages on this area include:
- Free Software can be redistributed at no cost, and with no law infringement. That means that the problem of "not having the required Software at home" is gone for pupils.
- Free Software is "free as in freedom", but also it is mostly "free as gratis". That means that schools can use more of its money to buy new equipment, instead of buying licenses. The problem regarding this is that state schools take money from a endless bag, so we need to convince the authorities before some schools.
- Free Software provides extra tools, such as mathematical software, periodic tables for Chemistry class, molecules drawers for Biology class... I mean, we have to tell that the change can improve the quality of classes
From this perspective, the main problems that I find on this area are:
- The lack of manuals for teachers about they can teach this area
- On some points, an adaptation of the software may be need, for example, on attending classes.
These, however, can be resolved with just a little work ;-)
