Re: [LUG] linux in schools - did some probing

["Mark Evans" <mpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> They each have a budget for Classroom and Administration IT and get
> funding from a couple of things. They can spend it on what they want,

The only major funding we have for IT is D96 (the NGFL grant),
which in theory only covers classroom use.

> but that is a wooly area.
>
> There is some existing Windows software which runs schools finances
> and pupil information (sickness, absence, etc). 

That would be the Capita SIMS system, the Alice library system
(which can rather indirectly get staff and pupil data out
of SIMS) and some hacked together programs for sending financial
data to county hall using a strange combination of FTP and HTTP.

> Each school has an ICT co-ordinator, which is normally a teacher or
> the head.
>
> Teachers (or the head) generally do the IT support. Only the big
> secondaries have a technician. Outside orgs are somtimes used.
>
> There are software audits, so licensing is legal.
>
> There are some preferred suppliers for kit, which means though that
> seems a whooly area.

At least 2 schools in Exeter have their own supplier arrangments...

> Education licenses for Windows are not that back breaking.

I wouldn't call 150 quid extra on each machine a small amount
of money. 

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