Linux in schools

[JD Runyan]

On Tue, Aug ,  at 12:03:39PM -0700, John Oliver wrote:
> JD Runyan wrote:
> 
> > Yes they have and that niche is primary and secondary education, and the
> > graphic arts.  Apple has marketed the teachers into believing that PCs
> > can't do what they are familiar with, thus they don't change.  The
> > educational facilities of our country tend to have the greatest inertia
> > when it comes to new ideas.
> 
> Inertia can *always* be overcome by a sufficient application of force...
> :-)
> 
> My point is, I don't think that Apple just dumps free computers on
> schools any more.  I think that maintaining and expanding Mac networks
> is going to be more and more expensive for them.  I don't have any
> figures to back that up, though.  If they could be shown that Linux
> *could* do everything they needed (or, at least, most of it...), for
> significantly less than what they have to pay now...  
> 
>
I agree, but is a touch sale, and you need to be ready for that.  I have
installed linux systems in schools to replace thier aging internal mail
servers, when they want to get on the iternet.  I also have used them to
replace a schools ms proxy server.  I tried to sell them on the Linux in
the computer labs, and they are afraid that no one will know how to
manage them.  What they fail to realize is that no one knows how to
manage what they got, because I was in fixing the MS and Apple
workstations all of the time for stupid little problems.  I would
suggest volunteering to teach a class after school or once a week on
Linux to some of the students, and get them on board.  Make the school
give you a few PCs to install Linux on for the class, and then go from
there.