[ubuntu-za] Ubuntu/OSS desktop for kids

[Werner Roets]

On 08/20/2012 12:39 PM, Percy Langa wrote:
>
> On 2012/08/20 11:42 AM, Andy Rabagliati wrote:
>> On Mon, 20 Aug 2012, Hilton Gibson wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All
>>>
>>> SITA tried to go FOSS: http://www.sita.co.za/FOSS/FOSS1.html
>>> But I believe Microsoft performed an intervention and it died.
>> Recent communication with a local High school confirms that Matric
>> exams require Microsoft operating systems - presumably because of 
>> Office.
> Thanks Andy and Hilton.
>
> I'll install LibreOffice anyway (Wine is only command away if I ever 
> need to install MS Office). I know the local pre-primary and primary 
> are using Ms Office.
>
> Percy
>
>
Hi guys,

Well, I was never encouraged to explore any other operating at school 
and I doubt you'll find many kids who were. There was maybe no point 
exposing kids to linux ten or maybe even five years ago but now *Ubuntu 
is a good free alternative* to Microsoft Windows that is always 
available for free to the public.

I think it makes a lot of sense to empower children with the knowledge 
to use FOSS software because as long as you have a working computer and 
an internet connection you can then set up a Linux box.
Then you can actually take that machine and teach yourself to program, 
author office documents, do web design, use gimp for photo manipulation 
or inkscape for graphic design or even use blender.

These are practical skills you can use to earn money. No license fees, 
no breaking the law. So much can be done with a R4000 computer using 
FOSS. But, go ahead and add R1200 for Win 7 Basic, who knows how much 
for the Adobe CS and Microsoft Office and suddenly its tons of money. 
But you're left with no choice because once you're out of school you've 
already spent so many hours with proprietary software that learning from 
scratch seems counter-productive.


I think it would be awesome to have kids learn how to use good practical 
FOSS software (gimp, libreoffice, email app etc.) for the CAT subject. 
IT teachers should teach PHP and MySQL web development with some 
inkscape, gimp and Linux system administration thrown in. But now I'm 
just fantasizing...

Why lock our kids out of FOSS and the spirit of Ubuntu at school in 
favour of Microsoft?

Much easier said than done, but I think commercial software should have 
stayed out of schools in the first place.

What do you guys think?

Werner 'Cobolt' Roets
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