[clug] Re: Linux Learners Group idea

[Leigh Purdie]

> Not at all true, I think.  In my experience a school's computer systems
> tend to be maintained in house.  In poorer (e.g. government) schools,
> it'll sometimes be an enthusiastic maths teacher given the extra
> responsibilities to keep everything running, others may have employed
> someone full time to work on it. I know at least one school which
> employs students to do the job!

Agree with Drew here - my wife (teacher librarian) was the IT
coordinator for a Canberra primary school for a while. I almost
managed to get the go-ahead from the heirarchy to convert a bunch of
old 'partially working' ex-windows boxes into 'fully working'
linux-based, in-classroom machines for the kids. Unfortunately, the
wife moved schools before I could finalise things.

At the moment, there are generally two 'types' of computers in-school:
The 'teacher' machines, supplied by the department, and managed by
InTACT (generally, though it varies from school to school) - and the
'student machines', which are generally bought by the school (via
parent funds). Bugger-all chance of getting linux on the teacher
machines - but no significant technical obstacles to linux on the
student boxes if a strong enough case is made. The 'case' is easy to
make, as long as the machines are cheap/free, and they don't have to
touch them from an administrative perspective.

Regards,

Leigh